the province’s Coroners Service had received at least 486 deaths since Friday, which represents an increase of 195 per cent from the average number of deaths expected from the province during a heat wave across five days.
“The last five days in British Columbia have seen an unprecedented number of deaths reported to the B.C. Coroners Service,” she said in a statement. “While it is too early to say with certainty how many of these deaths are heat related, it is believed likely that the significant increase in deaths reported is attributable to the extreme weather B.C. has experienced and continues to impact many parts of our province.”
Meanwhile, the Metro Vancouver Police has also revealed that by Tuesday evening officers had responded to more than 65 sudden deaths, while dozens of others were also attended to by the police in Surrey and Burnaby, in the greater Vancouver area. Police said majority of these fatalities were linked to the record-breaking temperatures, and many of the victims were elderly persons.
“The vast majority of these cases are related to the heat,” Vancouver police Sergeant Steve Addison said. “We’ve never seen anything like this, and it breaks our hearts. If you have an elderly or vulnerable family member, please give them a call or stop by to check on them.”
According to experts, climate changed is one of the major contributors to the disaster. Although Environment Canada said the heat is expected to become “less intense” in the coming days, authorities have urged people to remain indoors and stay hydrated.
