Seoul: Two women in their 70s have died due to extreme heat in South Korea, raising the death toll from this year’s heat wave to 14, the interior ministry said on Tuesday.
The ministry noted that on Sunday, a 71-year-old woman was found unconscious in her home in Seoul and subsequently died from a heat-related illness, while another 78-year-old woman died the same day while working on a farm in Goheung, 328 kilometres south of Seoul, Yonhap news agency reported.
These deaths brought this year’s heat wave death toll to 14 as of Sunday, while the number of patients with heat-related illnesses totaled 1,690.
From June 11 until Monday, 303,000 livestock died due to extreme heat, including 277,000 poultry.
On Tuesday, most parts of the country were under heat wave warnings. The weather agency has forecast that the heat wave may persist until at least August 15.
On Sunday, temperatures in Yeoju, 64 kilometres southeast of Seoul, reached 40 degrees Celsius, marking the first time since 2018, which was recorded as the hottest year on record, reports Yonhap news agency.
About 5,867 flatfish from six fish farms also died due to the heat.
The weather agency has said that the current heat wave is expected to continue for at least another 10 days, with daytime temperatures remaining above average, ranging from 30 degrees C to 36 degrees C across the country.
Last week, the interior ministry issued its highest heat wave warning of “serious” and upgraded its response posture to Level 1, also the highest level.
The ministry has advised people to avoid outdoor activities between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. and seek cool places if they feel dizzy, nauseous, or have a headache.
–IANS