Karachi commissioner denies high heatstroke death toll claims

• Heatstroke deaths not confirmed by sources, commissioner says.
• Ten people in Karachi died of heatstroke in last two days, he says.
• KE directed to avoid load shedding from 12am to 6am in heatwave.

KARACHI: Karachi Commissioner Syed Hasan Naqvi has refuted the death toll claims being made with regard to the ongoing heatwave in the port city, clarifying that the actual count is not as high as is being reported and has not been confirmed by any source.

The commissioner, during a press conference on Wednesday, revealed that 10 people had died due to heatstroke in the last two days while around 1,700 heatstroke cases have been reported in the city.

While sharing details about the recent deaths from heatstroke, Naqvi said that eight deaths occurred on Monday and two on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the Edhi Foundation had revealed an estimate of 568 deaths heatwave-induced illnesses with concerns also raised by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan over the increasing frequency of extreme weather events and the scale of the impact.

This year, for the first time since 2015, the temperatures in Karachi have touched 42°C in June while the intensity of the "feels like" temperature reached 51°C.

The residents may get a break from the boiling weather as the city is expected to experience rain today.

While speaking to reporters, the commissioner urged welfare organisations to "confirm the deaths with the government and the administration before releasing the data".

Naqvi also directed Karachi-Electric (KE), the sole energy company that supplies electricity to the provincial capital of Sindh and its adjoining areas, to avoid load shedding from 12am to 6am during the heatwave which, he said, "typically lasts two or three days".

According to a press release, the Karachi administration has established 124 heatwave centers with water facilities to protect the citizens from heatstroke.

Additionally, special wards have been developed in various hospitals to provide medical assistance to people suffering from heatstroke.