Over 60 die of heatstroke in Pakistan's largest city

By Aamir Latif

KARACHI, Pakistan (AA) - More than 60 people have died from a blistering heatwave that has gripped the port city of Karachi -- the country’s commercial capital -- in the last 72 hours, according to rescue officials Monday.

The heatwave, which the Pakistan meteorological department predicts would continue for at least the next three days, has mainly affected laborers who work under the boiling sun at construction sites or in industrial units that lack proper facilities.

Faisal Edhi, head of Edhi -- one of the largest nongovernmental organizations in Pakistan, told Anadolu Agency that most of the deaths had been reported from Korangi and Landhi, the city’s two major industrial districts, where a large number of laborers could not cope with the intensity of the heat.

He said the death of 64 in last three days also includes several women.

“Unfortunately, a majority of industrial units do not have proper cooling facilities, which has increased the risk of more casualties if the ongoing heatwave persists further,” Faisal warned.

“Most victims died at homes when they could not get medical help in time,” he added.

The mercury touched 43 degrees in Karachi on Monday, and similar temperatures are expected for at least next three days.

In 2015, over 1,400 people died, mostly in Karachi, of a massive heat wave in southern Pakistan.