Death tolls start to mount as the devastating heat wave keeps on wreaking havoc across western Canada and the north-western United States.
130 sudden deaths were reported in the Vancouver area alone, on Friday and Wednesday, BBC was told. A dozen others fell victim to the merciless heatwave in Oregon, Seattle, and Portland since the start of the heatwave. This heatwave and the recent collapse of the Miami Front Condo are just glimpsing of what we might be in for if nothing is done to reverse the climate’s effect on a war footing.
Authorities have reported that there have been instances of sudden deaths in the vicinity in the past, but the number was always in single digits. 3 or 4 at max, not the staggering double-digit figures which are being reported off late. British Columbia Chief Coroner Lisa Lapointe told the BBC that 100 more deaths were reported since Friday.
The medical system is also feeling the heat of the heatwave. One man developed third-degree burns just from walking on the pavement, and individuals have been on the verge of organ failure when brought in with severe heat strokes, said one doctor from Seattle told the Seattle Times. The scenes in the hospitals are similar to what it was during the early days of the pandemic.
“I’ve never seen anything like this,” a Vancouver resident told Agence France-Presse. “I hope it never becomes like this ever again” The association of the deaths of an individual with climate change is a tricky business. Still, there is no denying the fact that the climate is a key player in the situation. With worsening climates on the horizons, there is one thing for certain that this heatwave might be the first one of its kind, but it is not going to be the last one if things are not mended immediately.
