Pakistan in state of emergency as heat wave death toll tops 800

A cool wind from the sea and pre-monsoon rains brought the first signs of respite to southern Pakistan on Wednesday as the death toll from a scorching heat wave climbed to 838 — a high figure even for a nation accustomed to sizzling hot summers. The drop likely marked the end of the heat wave that began on Sunday. Hospital officials said admittances were lower than in previous days, when dehydrated patients lay in corridors and outside on the streets.  Hours-long power outages, little running water and the Ramadan fasting had worsened the situation further.

People never expected this sort of heat could come, so they were not prepared for it.

Nazar Mohammad Bozdar, the Director General at National Disaster Management Authority

Home to some 20 million people and the capital of the southern Sindh province, Karachi has long suffered under an inefficient power grid and a shortage of potable water. The power outages have also affected the city’s sporadic water supply, forcing those who can afford it rely on tankers of water being delivered to their homes. City morgues ran out of space and TV footage showed bodies stacked up inside of cold storage rooms as their relatives cried nearby.

Middle East Pakistan heat