State of emergency declared as at least 749 die in Pakistan heatwave

More than 700 people have died from the worst heatwave to hit Pakistan for a decade, with temperatures reaching 45C (113F). The scorching weather first struck the southern Sindh province at the weekend and came during the fasting month of Ramadan, when Muslims do not consume food or water during daylight hours. Morgues were running out of space - with television stations showing bodies stacked inside cold storage rooms. And hospitals were overwhelmed as they tried to save the sick.

The blame game is going on but the government did not issue any early warnings to tell the people to take care and because of the power outages, the situation became worse.

Al Jazeera’s Kamal Hyder

Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has declared a state of emergency with 749 people confirmed dead died and thousands more being treated for heat-related ailments, including fever, dehydration and stomach-related illnesses. The worst-hit area is Karachi, the country’s largest city, where at least 600 people have died. Abid Sher Ali, a junior minister for water and power, blamed Karachi’s local government, saying they were not able to manage their own affairs.

Pakistan heat Health