The death toll from the ongoing heatwave in southern Pakistan has reportedly climbed to more than 1,000. The heatwave has been particularly severe in Sindh Province, whose capital city Karachi has been facing temperatures as high as 45 degrees Celsius. The record high temperatures since 1979 have meant that major hospitals in Karachi are struggling to cope with an influx of heatstroke patients.
Most of the deaths have been among the poor and manual laborers who toil outdoors. A large number of patients are still in serious condition. And the death toll is expected to rise.
The Sindh provincial government has issued a state of emergency in Karachi, calling on residents not to go out in the high temperature. Weather authorities say the heatwave is expected to ease, as the rainy season nears.