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Near 700 people have died on Tuesday, the fourth day of a devastating heatwave hitting Pakistan, authorities said.
Temperatures were up to 45 degrees Celsius, while numerous power cuts have restricted the use of air-conditioning, reported the BBC. In addition, the heatwave hit during the fasting month of Ramadan, meaning Muslim citizens voluntarily restricted their water consumption during the day.
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Sporadic protests were held in the capital against the slow response of the governement and the Karachi main electricity company. A state of emergency was declared in hospitals on Monday only, and a campaign explaining what to do in case of extreme temperatures was launched today.
The main victims come from poor families: 612 people died in public hospitals, 80 died in private, Sindh province Health Secretary Saeed Mangnejo said.
Thousands of other Pakistanis are still being cared for, while meteorological authorities have forecast a decrease in temperatures from now on.
In May, another heatwave killed almost 1,700 people in neighboring India.
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