Pakistan

Majority of Karachi heatwave victims were homeless: minister

Provincial health minister says 60 to 65% of the heatstroke victims were beggars and heroin addicts, street people

Afp June 29, 2015

PHOTO: AFP

KARACHI: Nearly two-thirds of the victims of a killer heatwave that swept lower Sindh last week were homeless people, a minister said on Monday, as the death toll in Karachi reached over 1,200.

The city of 20 million inhabitants is a sprawling metropolis with few green areas and has scant facilities for coping with intensely hot weather.

Those living on the city's streets have little access to shelter or safe drinking water, making them particularly vulnerable to the scorching temperatures.

"About 60 to 65% of the heatstroke victims were beggars and heroin addicts, street people," Jam Mehtab Dahar, the provincial health minister told AFP.

Read: Karachi heatwave death toll crosses 1,200: Health Department

Zafar Ejaz, a senior health official, said the death toll as of Monday stood at 1,229 across the city's hospitals.

After peaking at around 45 degrees Celsius on the weekend of June 20 and June 21, the heat subsided to the mid-30s later in the week as the city's customary cooling sea breeze returned.

Among the remaining 35 to 40% of deaths, elderly women who died in their homes comprised a majority, Dahar said, suggesting power cuts had played a role as people had been unable to use fans or air conditioners.

Read: No mercy: After morgues, city runs out of funeral vans

"The women were at homes and not directly exposed to heat unlike the street people," Dahar added.

This year's heatwave has also coincided with the start of the holy month of Ramazan, during which millions of devout Muslims abstain from food and drink from sunrise to sunset.

Under Pakistani law, it is illegal for Muslims to eat or drink in public during daylight hours in Ramadan, though the crisis prompted some clerics to advise people they should stop fasting if their health is at risk.

COMMENTS (13)

Hassan | 9 years ago | Reply The majority of people killed during heatwave were homeless and drug addicts said a sindh minister if his claim is true then the minister should resign as he is responsible because he is enjoying each and every facility from the income of tax payers and poor people are dying on roads which clearly shows the incompetency of the sindh government whose senile CM announced to close the schools, colleges and govt offices at 01:pm what a revolutionary step he took. When sindh govt failed to handle the situation like recent heatwave, one fears God forbid in any disaster in the metropolitan what will happened to Karachiites

Adil | 9 years ago | Reply I was in Karachi last week to attend a funeral, and spoke to the kafan salesman at alamgir mosque. He told me, he alone has sold more then 1500 of then in the last week, and at the same mosque we have our uncle ghusal I saw the body of a 26 year old guy, brother to 5 sisters living in flats from Gulshan block 4 area. What I wish to say is: 1) numbering deaths is grossly understated 2) people of all age, gender, localities have died 3) govt is directly responsible as failed to provide basic medical, water and sanitation or even educate the masses on how to deal with such heat 4) these ruthless leaders would pay for shortcomings and greed in this life or the hereafter as each and every cry from a family is on them May Allah guide and bless us all.

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ashar | 9 years ago | Reply Technically, after giving the above statement, the PPP government loses its stand on placing all the responsibility on KE since the homeless do not have power connection and hence the question of being affected by load shedding does not arise in their case.

Azmat Ali | 9 years ago | Reply Yes, the whole episode could have been managed somewhat better through mass education via TV / Radio ads (only kind the masses see) by firstly informing them of the upcoming extreme heat wave (that science exists today everywhere to predict very, very accurately, at least 2 - 3 days in advance) and by advising people what to do, especially if they are going to be outdoors (this would have included the homeless too!). The government could also have established basic centers across the city at all Marriage Halls, Schools closed for the Summer, Mosques, etc and advising the people to support by providing water and volunteers. All the political parties could also have been forced to act in a timely fashion by providing their support and manpower across the city. I am amazed to see the moral outrage of the people against the Minister's statement of fact, however malicious its intent maybe. When was the last time any one of us ever raised a hand or even our voice to help or support a single homeless / drug addict person? While we continue to remove and denigrate such people personally, we expect our governments, made of the worst among us, to have a superior moral framework. Can imagine the indignation of our society if funds are ever diverted from the provision of basic healthcare to the masses towards the support and rehabilitation of the homeless and the drug addicts? I hate the PPP's extreme lack of governance but I also bemoan the extreme lack of empathy we have for our less-lucky brethren,

Sameer | 9 years ago | Reply Minister says: 60 to 65 per cent elderly persons died. Misquoted.

Whiskey Khan | 9 years ago | Reply The Sind Govt. which is dominated by Waderas and looters needs be cleansed. The utter disgraceful performance in different crises leads me to believe that Sindh should be run under Military rule.

Ahmed | 9 years ago | Reply Read the story as 'load shedding responsible for 40% deaths in karachi'

London Banker | 9 years ago | Reply So? A life is a life. Unless we learn this we will always be shia / sunni, rich / poor, black / white but never Pakistanis.

Sana | 9 years ago | Reply These ministers are absolutely shameless. These people on the streets are because of the policies of this govt and they are solely responsible for it. These people are in misery because of thuggery of these ministers. These politicians cannot get away as they will be answerable to God on the day of judgement.

the Skunk | 9 years ago | Reply Mr. Minister..........talk with some shame and decency. That is a very low quality statement and largely defines your attitude towards RESPONSIBILITY. Show some respect. Salams to the departed and may they RIP. AMEEN.

Zain | 9 years ago | Reply This shows typical sindhi wadera mentality of these thugs, they don't consider poor and helpless as human beings and lick the feet of the powerful

Parvez | 9 years ago | Reply AaaH ! ....... So the government has no responsibility towards the homeless ?......... this minister needs to be promoted.

lkhan | 9 years ago | Reply Whether homeless, or drug addicts, these people did not deserve to die. Is the minister trying to justify 65% of the deaths? Shame... Why does he not acknowledge the provincial government failed terribly its citizens during the hot spell, as in everything one can imagine. They rule with utter disgrace.

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