Record temperatures already reached in recent days are suspected to have caused hundreds if not thousands of deaths across Asia and Europe. As many as 52 bodies were brought to hospitals in the past two days, The Times of India reported on Thursday, adding that most of them were poor people who lived and worked in the open. Out of around 150,000 pilgrims, Pakistan has so far recorded 58 deaths, a diplomat briefed on the tally told AFP. Indonesia, which had around 240,000 pilgrims, raised its death toll to 183, according to the religious affairs ministry, compared with 313 deaths recorded last year. Deaths have also been confirmed by Malaysia, India, Jordan, Iran, Senegal, Tunisia, Sudan and Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan region.

Source: The North Africa Journal June 21, 2024 08:52 UTC