Pakistan hit by heatwave: 119 dead

A heatwave that is sweeping Sindh, the largest province in Pakistan, has claimed over 119 in the last 48 hours early Saturday to early Monday. The heatwave began last week. Health officials of the southern Sindh province said more than 119 people have died during the hotspell. They say most of the deaths have been in Karachi, which has seen temperatures as high as 45 degrees Celsius (113 deg F) in recent days. The city has seen power cuts, caused by an increased demand for electricity caused by the extreme weather. The head of the emergency department at Jinnah Hospital in Karachi said the majority of the victims were elderly. "Patients with heat stroke brought to the hospital had high-grade fever, altered state of consciousness, dehydration and fits," said Dr Semee Jamali. "Since Saturday 114 people have died in Karachi and 7 others in three districts of Sindh," provincial health secretary Saeed Mangnejo said, according to Dawn.