Heatwave kills 10 in Pakistan’s Karachi

KARACHI: At least 10 people have died in Karachi because of an intense heatwave that has affected Pakistan’s Sindh province and has taken temperature to record highs.

Five bodies were recovered from various locations across Karachi city on Monday, while five people with symptoms of heatstroke died during treatment at hospitals, said Faisal Edhi of Edhi Welfare Trust, which operates a nationwide network of medical facilities and shelter homes.

Karachi recorded its hottest day since 2018 on Monday, as the temperature in the city surged past 44°C, according to the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD).

The ongoing heatwave in Sindh is part of a broader pattern of increasingly frequent and intense heat extremes across South Asia, linked to climate change.

Earlier, on Saturday, PMD issued a heatwave alert for Karachi and several districts across the Sindh province.

Hot, very hot, and dry weather were the categories in which PMD classified the coming days. The present conditions are expected to prevail in most parts of the province, according to The Express Tribune newspaper.

Frequent power breakdowns and loadshedding have also made the lives of the people of Karachi increasingly difficult.

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah expressed regret over the loss of lives in Karachi due to extreme weather conditions and other causes, and urged the citizens only to leave their homes if necessary.