Record Heat Linked to Deaths In Western Canada, Police...

Record Heat Linked to Deaths In Western Canada, Police Say
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/6/29/record-heat-blasts-western-canada-province

Police in western Canada say extreme heat may be linked to dozens of “sudden” deaths, as the record temperatures prompted the province of British Columbia to close schools, issue flood warnings from glacier melts and urge people to stay indoors.

In a statement on Tuesday, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) in Burnaby, a suburb of Vancouver, said it had responded “to more than 25 sudden death calls” in a 24-hour period since Monday.

While the deaths are still under investigation, the police force said heat was believed to have been “a contributing factor” in the majority of them. Many of the deceased were seniors, it said.

The RCMP in Surrey, another city in the greater Vancouver area, said the police force had responded to 22 “sudden death calls” on Monday and another 13 by midday on Tuesday.

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... "Since the onset of the heat wave late last week, the BC Coroners Service has experienced a significant increase in deaths reported where it is suspected that extreme heat has been contributory," Chief Coroner Lisa Lapointe said in a statement.

The coroner's service normally receives about 130 death reports over a four-day period. From Friday through Monday, at least 233 deaths were reported, the chief coroner said, adding "this number will increase as data continues to be updated."