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Heat wave claims six lives in Pakistan
At least six people died as Pakistan reeled under a heat wave that sent the mercury soaring to 48 degrees Celsius in some areas, media reports said on Wednesday.
- Agencies
- Published: 14:12 May 7, 2008
Islamabad: At least six people died as Pakistan reeled under a heat wave that sent the mercury soaring to 48 degrees Celsius in some areas, media reports said on Wednesday.
Three people, including an elderly woman, died in Khanpur, where the hottest temperatures were recorded, the Urdu-language Daily Express newspaper said.
Temperatures hovered around 45 in Sahiwal city. Three people died there.
"The current heatwave will continue for some days in several areas and the temperatures will rise even further," said Akran Anjum, the director of the National Weather Forecasting Centre in Islamabad.
The temperatures are expected to hit their highest point, around 51 or 52, in the middle of next week. Last year, more than 300 people had died of unbearable heat in May.
Frequent power outages, which sometimes extend to 16 hours in some areas, have added to the miseries of the people struggling against the heat.
Pakistan is currently facing a shortage of more than 3000 megawatts.
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