This article is from the source 'nytimes' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/25/world/asia/pakistan-heat-wave-death-toll-rises.html

The article has changed 6 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 2 Version 3
Death Toll From Karachi, Pakistan, Heat Wave Rises to 770 Death Toll From Karachi, Pakistan, Heat Wave Tops 800
(about 5 hours later)
KARACHI, Pakistan — The death toll from a heat wave in Pakistan’s largest city, Karachi, rose to 770 on Wednesday, government officials said, as a forecast of rain in parts of the city offered some hope of eventual relief. KARACHI, Pakistan — After four days of punishing heat that killed hundreds of people in this southern port city, the temperature and death toll were lower on Wednesday.
Continued power cuts and temperatures of up to almost 100 degrees contributed to a sense of crisis on Wednesday in Karachi, where thousands have been treated at hospitals for dehydration and heatstroke. Residents have also started donation drives for government hospitals, which have faced a heavy influx of patients since the heat wave began five days ago. Health and rescue officials said the number of deaths, which have surpassed 800, was down on Wednesday as the temperature dropped to 98 degrees Fahrenheit, or 37 degrees Celsius. It had been as high as 113 degrees Fahrenheit, or 45 degrees Celsius.
With temperatures as high as 113 degrees on Saturday, the heat wave coincided with Ramadan, the Islamic month of fasting, when many residents of Karachi forgo food and water during daylight hours. Lack of hydration for up to 15 hours, combined with a dearth of access to ways to cool down, were especially devastating to day laborers who worked outdoors. “Today was a lot better,” said Anwar Kazmi, a spokesman for Edhi Foundation, which runs an ambulance service and Karachi’s largest morgue. “We’ve had 58 deaths today, compared to yesterday when the death toll rose to 300.”
The Edhi Foundation, a private charity, said that its rescue workers had picked up 18 bodies by Wednesday afternoon, a steep decline from the previous few days, when its ambulances and morgue had tallied over 600 deaths. Meteorologists said that Karachi’s weather should improve in the days ahead. “There won’t be heavy rains, but there are chances of light rain in the city,” said Abdul Rashid, a meteorologist.
The Karachi commissioner, Shoaib Ahmed Siddiqui, said that more than 770 people had died as a result of the heat in the city, but that the number of deaths was expected to taper off as the weather changed. Government meteorologists have forecast rain at isolated locations in Karachi over the next 24 hours. In the meantime, officials here ordered all government offices and educational institutions closed on Wednesday. Sindh Province, which includes Karachi, declared Wednesday a public holiday to encourage people to stay indoors and avoid the sun.
Lawmakers in the lower house of Parliament criticized the government of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif during its session on Wednesday. The federal government has denied responsibility for the death toll, while the Sindh provincial government has blamed Islamabad, as well as the privately run company that provides Karachi’s power, K-Electric, for its management of the situation. And Mufti Muhammad Naeem, an Islamic religious leader here, issued a rare fatwa, or edict, allowing ailing Muslims to forgo fasting during the annual Ramadan observance, in which most Muslims abstain from drinking water or eating during daylight hours lasting 15 hours.
Most of the victims, affected by heat stroke and dehydration, were taken to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center, Karachi’s largest hospital. Dr. Seemin Jamali, head of the hospital’s emergency wing, said that 310 people had died there in the last four days and thousands more had received treatment.
Statistics from other government and private hospitals suggested that the death toll had reached 830.
Most victims in this city of 20 million have been elderly or poor people. Charity workers and local residents said that power failures that have left parts of the city without electricity for fans, air-conditioners and water pumps had been a major factor in most of the deaths.
After seven animals at the city’s two zoos died because of the heat, animals were provided with hydrating fluids and ice blocks were placed in cages on Wednesday by zoo workers.
The Pakistani Army and paramilitary Sindh Rangers have established relief centers to treat the affected people. And some nongovernment organizations and volunteers have set up camps outside hospitals to provide water and medicine.
Zahid Farooq, an official at the Urban Resource Center, a nongovernmental organization based here, said that the heat wave had badly exposed Karachi’s structural flaws and lack of a reliable disaster management system.
“Sadly, there are not enough beds in hospitals, no space in morgues and graveyards and no emergency response,” he said. “The heat wave was not man-made, but providing proper medical treatment and drinking water could minimize the casualties.”
But Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Pakistan’s minister for water and power, said Wednesday that the energy crisis in the country was not responsible for the high number of deaths in Karachi.
“Federal government is not responsible if there is water shortage in Karachi,” he said on the floor of Parliament in Islamabad, the capital. “We are ready for accountability, but it’s not appropriate to blame us for each and every thing.”
Opposition politicians have criticized both the federal and provincial governments for mismanagement and an inability to effectively handle the crisis.