Karachi Sees a Surge in Deaths as Heat Wave Sears Pakistan
- Rescue agency reports 568 causalties in the city in five days
- Temperatures hover 7C above normal, no relief in coming days
A volunteer sprays water on a bypasser's face to cool off, in Karachi on June 24.
Photographer: Rizwan Tabassum/AFP/Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
Karachi is witnessing an unusual spike in the number of deaths, a relief agency said, with the baking conditions set to persist in Pakistan’s commercial capital.
Rescue agency Edhi Foundation reported receiving 568 bodies in the city in the five days through June 25, up from an average of about 40 per day. The local government said the casualties weren’t due to heat and that just 13 people had died of weather-related issues in Karachi in June.