June 29, 2023
2 mins read

Heatwave kills 17 in Southern US

It is unknown whether the bodies are those of migrants…reports Asian Lite News

At least 17 people have died from heat-related illnesses as a severe heat wave continued in Texas while spreading into other parts of the southern US.

In Webb County, southern Texas, medical examiner Corinne Stern said that 11 residents over the age of 60 have died due to the abnormal heat, reports Xinhua news agency.

“This is heat like we’ve not seen here before,” said Stern,

“Deaths due to heat stroke are ruled as accidents, and accidents, by definition, are preventable deaths. All these deaths could have been prevented.”

A 14-year-old boy from Florida died of heat-related fatigue in Big Bend National Park in Texas, when temperatures there rose to 48 degrees Celsius, the second-highest mark ever recorded in the state.

Also among the confirmed victims were a 17-year-old hiker, a utility lineman, a postal worker all from Texas and two residents in the coastal state of Louisiana, local media reported.

A Texas Tribune report said that since the heat wave gripped the state, at least nine inmates, including two men in their 30s, have died of heart attacks or unknown causes in prisons lacking air conditioning.

It has been 11 years since the state’s prison system last classified a death as heat-related.

According to Stern, the number of heat-related deaths also rose near the US-Mexico border in the past few weeks.

Five bodies have been found since last week in a desert close to the Mexican border and near human smuggling zones in the Sunland Park area, New Mexico, the El Paso Times reported.

It is unknown whether the bodies are those of migrants.

The US National Weather Service forecast temperatures will likely reach 43 to 46 degrees on Thursday and Friday in Texas as the heat spreads into Arkansas, Louisiana, Kansas and Oklahoma.

More than 150 heat records could be broken during the next six days.

Power use in Texas hit an all-time high on Tuesday and is expected to set a new record in the coming days, said the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, which is in charge of the state’s grid.

More than 120 million people in the US were under various heat safety alerts on Wednesday, according to heat.gov, the web portal for the country’s National Integrated Heat Health Information System.

Climate change is widely blamed for causing heat waves to be more intense, longer-lasting and more frequent. 

ALSO READ-Europe’s heatwave is a strong warning

Previous Story

OpenAI opens its first office outside the US

Next Story

Int’l tourism conference to be held in Pakistan

Latest from -Top News

Pak-Afghan Tensions Escalate Over Strikes

The airstrikes by Pakistani fighter jets on parts of Barmal district in Paktika province was the second instance in 2024 of Islamabad directly hitting “civilian areas” on Afghan territory…reports Asian Lite News

India Condemns Pak’s Blame Tactics

The airstrikes by Pakistani fighter jets on parts of Barmal district in Paktika province was the second instance in 2024 of Islamabad directly hitting “civilian areas” on Afghan territory….reports Asian Lite News

Jaishankar, Sullivan Boost India-US Ties

Sullivan’s visit is aimed at reviewing the India-US Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET)…reports Asian Lite News External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar on Monday met US National Security Advisor (NSA)

India Hits $1 Trillion FDI Milestone

Between April 2014 and September 2024, India attracted USD 709 billion in FDI, accounting for 69% of the total inflows since 2000. India has reached a remarkable economic milestone, with Foreign Direct

Maha Kumbh 2025: Festivities Begin

Women participated in a special Ganga Aarti at the Triveni Sangam in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj earlier. The ritual also served as a rehearsal for the upcoming Kumbh Mela. The festivities for Maha
Go toTop

Don't Miss

Talks on to drop hiked tariffs on Chinese products

Following Biden’s remarks, outgoing White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki

US warns of ‘imminent military offensive’ in Darfur

El-Fasher stood as the last Darfur state capital beyond the