Record heatwave kills nearly 480 people in Pakistan

Many Pakistani people go to rivers to escape the heat. (Photo: AFP)

Pakistan's national television reported on June 23 that the death toll from heat waves in the past three days in Pakistan has reached nearly 480 people.

At least 450 people have died from heatstroke in Karachi, the highest death toll in the country, according to Pakistani health officials. The weather bureau said temperatures in Karachi reached 45 degrees Celsius over the past three days - the highest since 1979.

Meanwhile, about 8-10 people have died in the southern province of Sindh. The head of Jinnah Hospital, Dr. Semi Jamal, said that Karachi's largest hospital has received more than 3,000 cases of heatstroke, including about 200 people in critical condition.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has expressed his condolences to the families of those who lost loved ones due to the heatwave in Karachi. He said those admitted to hospital would be given the best medical treatment.

He also instructed relevant authorities to raise public awareness about the current heat wave to reduce the number of deaths. Prime Minister Sharif also instructed the Ministry of Water and Electricity to keep the power supply situation updated.

In Karachi, power shortages have affected the city's water supply. Protests have broken out in several areas of the crowded port city of about 20 million people. The Sindh provincial government has also declared a state of emergency in all hospitals, denying doctors and other medical staff leave and increasing stockpiles of medical equipment.

The heatwave in Pakistan comes just a month after neighboring India recorded its second-highest heatwave-related death toll in history, with more than 2,000 people killed.

According to VNA