Heat Wave Kills More Than 500 People in Pakistan’s Biggest City
A heat wave with temperatures reaching 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit) swept through Karachi this week, killing more than 500 people in Pakistan’s most populated city.
Most of the victims were elderly people, Anwaar Kazmi, spokesman for rescue service Edhi Foundation in the port city, said by phone on Tuesday. The Sindh government asked schools and government offices to close for the day. Karachi is the capital of the province.
The deaths due to the heat wave were the highest on record, according to Kazmi. Soaring temperatures led to a surge in power demand causing blackouts in many areas, sparking protests. The weather is forecast to improve, the Ministry of Water and Power said.
“We are diverting power from industry to residences,” Hassan Nasir Jamy, additional secretary at the Ministry of Water and Power ministry, said in an interview.
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