Hospitals and graveyards — the heatstroke in pictures

Agencies Published June 26, 2015
A heatstroke victim is treated at a government hospital in Karachi. The death toll from Pakistan's killer heatwave rose past 1,000 with more fatalities expected, as cloud cover and lower temperatures brought some relief to the worst-hit city Karachi. —AFP
A heatstroke victim is treated at a government hospital in Karachi. The death toll from Pakistan's killer heatwave rose past 1,000 with more fatalities expected, as cloud cover and lower temperatures brought some relief to the worst-hit city Karachi. —AFP
A child drinks water mixed with hydration salts to avoid heatstroke and dehydration due to extreme weather in Karachi. —AP
A child drinks water mixed with hydration salts to avoid heatstroke and dehydration due to extreme weather in Karachi. —AP
Relatives tend to heatstroke victims as they are treated at a government hospital in Karachi. —AFP
Relatives tend to heatstroke victims as they are treated at a government hospital in Karachi. —AFP
A heatstroke victim is treated at a government hospital in Karachi.—AFP
A heatstroke victim is treated at a government hospital in Karachi.—AFP
Relatives prepare to bury a victim of heat-stroke at a graveyard in Karachi. —AFP
Relatives prepare to bury a victim of heat-stroke at a graveyard in Karachi. —AFP
Family members bring an elderly person to a hospital suffering from a heatstroke in Karachi. —AP
Family members bring an elderly person to a hospital suffering from a heatstroke in Karachi. —AP
Relatives prepare to bury a victim of heatstroke at a graveyard in Karachi. —AFP
Relatives prepare to bury a victim of heatstroke at a graveyard in Karachi. —AFP
A man pours water on a girl to cool off outside a local hospital in Karach.—AP
A man pours water on a girl to cool off outside a local hospital in Karach.—AP
People bury a person who lost his life due to extreme weather in Karachi.—AP
People bury a person who lost his life due to extreme weather in Karachi.—AP
Relatives bring a heatstroke victim to a hospital in Karachi. —AFP
Relatives bring a heatstroke victim to a hospital in Karachi. —AFP
A relative of a heatstroke victim waits at a hospital in Karachi. —AFP
A relative of a heatstroke victim waits at a hospital in Karachi. —AFP
An old man suffering from heatstroke is brought to a hopistal Karachi. —AFP
An old man suffering from heatstroke is brought to a hopistal Karachi. —AFP
Relatives accompany a loved one suffering from heatstroke. —AFP
Relatives accompany a loved one suffering from heatstroke. —AFP
Relatives prepare to bury a heatstroke victim at a graveyard in Karachi. —AFP
Relatives prepare to bury a heatstroke victim at a graveyard in Karachi. —AFP
A doctor treats a heatstroke victim at an emergency ward of a hospital in Karachi. —AP
A doctor treats a heatstroke victim at an emergency ward of a hospital in Karachi. —AP
Labourers build mass graves to bury victims of the intense heatwave in Karachi. —Reuters
Labourers build mass graves to bury victims of the intense heatwave in Karachi. —Reuters

KARACHI: The devastating heat wave that struck Sindh last weekend, is slowly subsiding but the death toll was still climbing up on Thursday and Friday.

The death toll in Karachi and other parts of Sindh passed 1,000 on June 25, 2015, medics and welfare workers told AFP, with further fatalities expected.

Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) and Edhi morgue ran into crisis as the number of dead bodies surpassed the number of beds in the emergency room and shrouds for the dead bodies.

Chaos reported from the cold storage of Edhi centre as people couldn't find ambulances enough to carry the dead bodies to the graveyards.Voluntary transport services by citizens came into action, later on Friday.

The worst heat wave to hit Pakistan's southern city of Karachi for nearly 35 years and lack of government surveillance for the victims of heatwave, caused morgues to run out of space.

Despite the emergency conditions all over the city, awestruck residents rushed to supply biscuits, juices, water bottles and hydration salts to the over-stretched public hospitals.

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Comments (5) Closed
Rohit Sharma
Jun 26, 2015 03:41pm
In all the pictures I can see only poor common people. Any such tragedy happens in any country, it is the poor and common people who got affected. Rich would be not impacted as they have air conditions running on diesel generators without electricity. National budget should be spend on health care, education and infrastructure rather than nuclear weapons.
Recommend 0
imran
Jun 26, 2015 04:04pm
fundamental principal of nature "survival of the fittest". The sole purpose of governments is to go against this natural principal and look after the most vulnerable. this is why you are here for Mr. Prime Minister and that's your job! least you could do was to make people aware to take some precautionary measures.
Recommend 0
Imran AB
Jun 26, 2015 05:43pm
2003 : France 15,000 dead by heat wave. 2010 : Moscow 10,000 dead in a heatwave. Chicago, Illinois, reported 700 excess deaths in July 1995 where the heatwave lasted for four days.Earlier in July 1966, the City of New York reported 1,181 excess deaths because of heatwaves.St. Louis, heatwave killed an additional 618 in 1972. 2010 killed an estimated 3,000 people in the Indian city of Ahmedabad. New Delhi 1,100 killed by heatwave 28th May, 2015. Mostly all the old and frail and sick people died in all these places too. Sad but nature's way of survival of the fittest.
Recommend 0
Bairooni Haath
Jun 26, 2015 08:46pm
Nobody was willing to offer these poor people water, but it seems there is money to build graves for them. Macabre priorities of a nation.
Recommend 0
mehkan
Jun 26, 2015 10:40pm
@Bairooni Haath That is exactly what I noticed too! I mean we are a country where we have money for the dead but no money for the alive to help them live a better life?? Tis' the irony! Oh the people of my motherland! What has happened to us all?
Recommend 0

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