Mass deaths in Western Canada
Vancouver police report: in recent days, the hotline has received 134 reports of sudden deaths occurring in the subway, and many die in their homes as well!
Deaths in Vancouver.
Abnormally hot weather in western Canada since last week has been cited as the main culprit behind the mass deaths. As noted in yesterday's police press release, 65 sudden deaths have already been reported in the city since the heat wave began on Friday.
"As of 1:45 p.m. Tuesday, police officers had already responded to 20 sudden deaths due to the heat and more than a dozen other death calls were still waiting to be dispatched to police," said Vancouver Police Sgt. Steve Addison. — We've never seen anything like this, and it breaks our hearts."
The Vancouver Police Department said many officers are being transferred from other departments and called in from home to deal with the spike in deaths. However, it will take some time to restore normal police operations.
Deaths in the province
Deaths are also reported by coroner's officials: they are also receiving tragic calls during the record heat wave.
A press release from B.C.'s chief coroner's office noted that the coroner's office typically receives about 130 reports of deaths over a four-day period. But at least 233 people died in B.C. between Friday and Monday, about 100 more than the normal four-day period. The death toll is only expected to grow!
The police have noted that most heatstroke deaths occur in private homes when the mercury reading on thermometers is above 30 degrees Celsius. Unfortunately, not everyone has air conditioning, which only aggravates this critical situation.
Constable Sarbjit Sangha said the risk of sudden death due to overheating was mainly in the elderly. "The highest number of sudden deaths occurred in the elderly between the ages of 70 and 92," she said. — The youngest person was 44 years old."
Here's how Prime Minister John Horgan commented on the situation: "We did everything we could to overcome all the media noise and encourage people to take steps to take safety measures. But it was obvious to everyone out there that an unprecedented heat wave had hit our region. Let's not forget that everyone is also personally responsible for their own safety."
Security measures
Police officers remind you to drink plenty of water, stay in a cool place and visit your elderly relatives and acquaintances to check on their situation. Young children, the elderly and anyone with chronic illnesses are at high risk of heatstroke.
