Heatwave wreaks havoc, 15 found dead on streets

Edhi morgues receive 526 bodies in a week

KARACHI:

Amidst the intense heatwave on Monday, 15 bodies, including that of a woman, were discovered on the streets and footpaths across various areas of Karachi.

Chhipa and Edhi volunteers transported the bodies to different government hospitals. Over the past two days, a total of 25 bodies of people who died from heat exhaustion were brought in from various locations.

Chhipa volunteers shifted 12 bodies, while Edhi volunteers handled three on Monday. According to Chhipa authorities, at 7:05am, the body of a 35-year-old unidentified man was found on a footpath in Orangi Town and moved to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital. At 12:30pm, the body of a 55-year-old unidentified man was discovered near the MA Jinnah Road signal and transferred to Civil Hospital. At 2pm, a 55-year-old unidentified man was found dead near Karimabad’s Magnet Mall and moved to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital. Around 5pm, a 50-year-old unidentified man was found dead near Super Highway’s Faqira Goth Chowk and his body was transferred to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital.

Later in the evening, at 5:05pm, a 45-year-old unidentified man was found dead near Old Golimar’s Double PMT Street and shifted to Civil Hospital. At 5:16pm, body of a 60-year-old unidentified man was discovered near Gulistan-e-Johar’s Block 11, Munawar Chowrangi, and moved to Jinnah Hospital. The cause of death for all these individuals was listed as unknown.

At 5:21pm, the body of 40-year-old Sultan was found near Landhi Hospital’s Chowrangi and moved to Jinnah Hospital. At 6:40pm, the body of 32-year-old Zubair Abbasi was found near New Karachi’s Sector 11 D Market and shifted to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital. At 6:41pm, the body of a 50-year-old unidentified man was discovered near the Surgical Market and moved to Jinnah Hospital.

At 9:56pm, the body of a 90-year-old unidentified man was found inside Orangi Town’s Qatar Hospital and moved to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital. Around 10pm, Chhipa volunteers shifted the body of a 45-year-old unidentified man from near Frere Hall, Civil Lines, to Jinnah Hospital. Additionally, the body of a 70-year-old unidentified man was found near Mahmoodabad Model Park at 10:02pm and transferred to Jinnah Hospital. The Edhi Foundation reported that on Monday, at 6:11pm, the body of a 50-year-old unidentified man was found near North Karachi UP Mor and moved to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital. The body of a 30-year-old unidentified man was found near Faqir Colony, Orangi Town, and the body of a 50-year-old unidentified woman was found near Shah Faisal Colony, Green Town, at 8:30pm. These bodies were transferred to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital and Jinnah Hospital, respectively, by Edhi ambulances.

Spike in entries at Edhi morgues

In the past week, 526 bodies have been brought to the three morgues of the Edhi Foundation in Karachi. These bodies were temporarily stored in cold storage and later handed over to families after the bathing and shrouding rituals.

Faisal Edhi, head of the Edhi Foundation, informed The Express Tribune that these bodies, brought in over the past week, were due to various reasons, including the increasing heat. Typically, 30-40 bodies are received daily, but recently, this number has surged to 100-140 bodies per day. He expressed concern that some of these deaths may be heat-related, although this remains unconfirmed.

The city is experiencing a significant increase in heat intensity, exacerbated by power outages, severely affecting patients with chronic diseases. Faisal Edhi emphasized the impact of these conditions on the population.

Police Surgeon Dr. Summaiya Syed confirmed that four people died from heatstroke in Karachi on June 24, with two bodies brought to Jinnah Hospital and two to Civil Hospital. Edhi’s three cold storage facilities are located in Moosa Line, Sohrab Goth, and Korangi.