Heatwave; Death toll mounts to 200 in Pakistan

Karachi

Nearly 200 people have died in a heatwave in southern Pakistan, officials said Monday, as the government called in the army to help tackle widespread heatstroke in the worst-hit city Karachi.

The death toll in Karachi, the country's largest city, where temperatures hit 45 degrees Celsius (111 Fahrenheit) at the weekend, is at least 180 and a further 11 deaths were reported in southern parts of central Punjab province.

The deaths come a month after neighbouring India suffered the second deadliest heatwave in its history, with more than 2,000 deaths.

Doctor Sabir Memon, a senior health official with the government in southern Sindh province, said the death toll was 180 and warned it was likely to rise in the evening.

Information from five hospitals around Karachi suggested the toll  could be as high as 249.

National Disaster Management (NDMA) spokesman Ahmed Kamal said that the government had asked the army and paramilitary Rangers to help relief efforts which will include setting up heatstroke treatment centres around the city.

Coping with the scorching heat has been made harder by the power cuts that are a daily feature of life in Pakistan.

The Sindh provincial government has imposed a state of emergency at all hospitals, cancelling leave for doctors and other medical staff and increasing stocks of medical supplies.

Another 11 deaths were reported Monday in the southern part of Punjab province.

"Eleven people have so far died because of heat related diseases in South Punjab during last 48 hours," a health official in the city of Multan said.