Paris, June 27 (SANA) At least 74 people have died in France since June 18 amid a severe heatwave affecting large parts of Europe, Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said on Saturday.
Nuñez said the deaths included drownings linked to the extreme temperatures, with many occurring in unauthorized or unsupervised bodies of water, according to AFP.
He added that heatstroke, excessive physical exertion, heart attacks, and drowning incidents have all contributed to the rising toll. Officials said many of the victims were physically active people aged between 50 and 70 who continued normal routines despite the extreme heat, rather than the elderly, who are typically the focus of heatwave monitoring.
French authorities had previously reported at least 55 heat-related deaths. Temperatures in Paris reached 40.9°C on Wednesday, prompting the activation of the country’s highest level of health emergency response, including the cancellation of non-urgent medical procedures to prioritize heat-related cases.
The heatwave has affected large parts of Europe, with several countries reporting record or near-record temperatures as the hot air mass moves eastward toward Germany and Poland, raising concerns over further health and infrastructure impacts.
France continues to apply emergency heatwave protocols introduced after the 2003 crisis, which caused nearly 15,000 excess deaths.
Scientists say the current event is among the most intense early-summer heatwaves on record in Europe, where warming trends are accelerating more rapidly than the global average.
KhA / AbdRh
