OREGON, US: The grim toll of the historic heat wave in the Pacific Northwest became more apparent as authorities in Canada, Washington state and Oregon said Wednesday that they were investigating more than 100 deaths likely caused by scorching temperatures that shattered all-time records.
Oregon health officials said more than 60 deaths have been tied to the heat, with the state’s largest county, Multnomah, blaming the weather for 45 deaths since the heat wave began Friday.
In Vancouver, British Columbia, police said they had responded to more than 65 sudden deaths since Friday. Washington state authorities had linked more than half-dozen deaths to the heat, but that number was likely to rise.
Deaths surge in US and Canada from worst heatwave on record
Deaths surge in US and Canada from worst heatwave on record
The state of Oregon reported 63 deaths linked to the heatwave, while Multnomah County, which includes Portland, reported 45 of those deaths since Friday.
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UPDATED: July 1, 2021 05:57 IST
People sleep at a cooling shelter set up during an unprecedented heat wave in Portland, Oregon on June 27. (Photo: Reuters)
A heatwave that smashed all-time high temperature records in western Canada and the US Northwest has left a rising death toll in its wake as officials brace for more sizzling weather and the threat of wildfires.
Ежедневно молюсь о дожде : в Орегоне жертвами аномальной жары стали более 60 человек tsn.ua - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from tsn.ua Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Hundreds of deaths could be linked to Northwest heat wave
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SALEM, Ore. (AP) – The grim toll of the historic heat wave in the Pacific Northwest became more apparent as authorities in Canada, Oregon and Washington state said Wednesday they were investigating hundreds of deaths likely caused by scorching temperatures that shattered all-time records in the normally temperate region.
British Columbia’s chief coroner, Lisa Lapointe, said her office received reports of at least 486 “sudden and unexpected deaths” between Friday and Wednesday. Normally, she said about 165 people would die in the Canadian province over a five-day period.
“While it is too early to say with certainty how many of these deaths are heat related, it is believed likely that the significant increase in deaths reported is attributable to the extreme weather,” LaPointe said in a statement.
Thursday, July 01, 2021, 08:53 GMT+7
Smoke and flames are seen during the Sparks Lake wildfire at Thompson-Nicola Regional District, British Columbia, Canada, June 29, 2021, in this image obtained via social media. Photo: BC WILDFIRE SERVICE via REUTERS
A heatwave that smashed all-time high temperature records in western Canada and the U.S. Northwest has left a rising death toll in its wake as officials brace for more sizzling weather and the threat of wildfires.
The worst of the heat had passed by Wednesday, but the state of Oregon reported 63 deaths linked to the heatwave. Multnomah County, which includes Portland, reported 45 of those deaths since Friday, with the county Medical Examiner citing hyperthermia as the preliminary cause.