Pakistan officials say more than 200 people have died in a heatwave in the southern regions, as the government called in the army to help tackle widespread heatstroke in the worst-hit city Karachi.
Temperature as high as 45 degrees Celsius hit Karachi at the weekend. Weather authority says more hot and humid weather is predicted for the coming 24 hours, though thunderstorms forecast for later in the week could bring cooler weather. In Karachi, a city of 20 million people, electricity shortages crippled the water supply system, hampering the pumping of millions of gallons of water to consumers. The heatwave coincides the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan, during which devout Muslims abstain from all food and drink during daylight hours. The government of Sindh, the province where Karachi is located, has imposed a state of emergency at all hospitals, cancelling leave for doctors and other medical staff and stocking up medical supplies.