How heat wave is killing people in Karachi?

M. Waqar Bhatti
Karachi: Air containing extremely high moisture started heating up in Karachi on the morning of Sunday, June 23, when temperatures soared to 40 degrees Celsius while sea breeze was cut off due to a low-pressure area in the Arabian Sea near the Indian coast of Gujarat, raising the heat index in Karachi to above 50 degrees Celsius.

“Extremely high moisture content from the Arabian Sea had been pumped into the air over Karachi on the night between June 22 and June 23. Suddenly, in the morning, the sea breeze stopped. With no air from the sea to clear the moisture from Karachi’s skies, it started heating up after temperatures rose to 40 degrees Celsius, making people feel as if they were inside a heated pressure cooker,” Dr. Ghulam Rasool, former Director General of Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), told The Newztodays on Saturday.

Hundreds of people have reportedly died due to heat stroke during the ongoing heatwave that has gripped Karachi since Sunday, June 22. Some welfare organizations claim the death toll due to the heatwave is as high as 800.

However, the provincial health department claims that only 35 people have died due to heat stroke and related causes based on data from four leading public health facilities. Health experts believe over 90 percent of people who died from heat stroke never managed to reach hospitals and either died on the roads, at home, or on the way to health facilities.Govt urges Provinces to take measures against Heatwave Spell

Dr. Rasool, now serving as an advisor at the China-Pakistan Joint Research Center at Quaid-e-Azam University, Islamabad, claimed that although the ongoing heatwave in Karachi was not as severe as the one witnessed in 2015, it was longer in duration and caused extreme agony to people in the port city for the entire week.

“This time, the temperature rose to a maximum of 41-42 degrees Celsius, unlike in 2015 when the maximum temperature rose to 45-46 degrees Celsius. But this year, the duration was longer compared to the 2015 heatwave,” he said.

Dr. Rasool warned that the frequency of heatwaves is expected to rise in the years to come. He advised people and authorities to focus on mitigation and adaptation to changing climate conditions.

Sindh’s chief meteorologist Dr. Sardar Sarfraz blamed a low-pressure area in the Arabian Sea for the heatwave that started on June 22-23, 2024, in Karachi. He said it stopped the sea breeze towards Karachi, causing moisture suspended in the air over the city to heat up under intense conditions, leading to suffocation and heat exhaustion for people on the roads and those without electricity at home.

He claimed that as the sea breeze was cut off and humidity remained over 70-80 percent, the heat index, or the “feel-like” temperature, rose above 50 degrees Celsius. This was more than bearable for many people, especially those with compromised immunity, the weak and elderly, and those working under the sun.

“We are hearing of deaths due to heat stroke, and most of these deaths occurred on the roads, among people who live on the streets, those who work under the sun, and people who were inside their homes but had no electricity to cool them off,” Sardar Sarfraz said.

Health experts say heat stroke is a health emergency that can cause death within minutes to a few hours, depending on factors like age, health status, environmental conditions, and the speed and effectiveness of medical intervention.

“Heat stroke can develop rapidly, often within minutes to hours, especially during extreme heat conditions or vigorous physical activity. Initial symptoms may include high body temperature (usually above 40°C), altered mental state or behavior (such as confusion, agitation, slurred speech, irritability, delirium, seizures, or coma), nausea and vomiting, flushed skin, rapid breathing, and a racing heart rate,” says Dr. Khurram Nizami, a medical specialist.

According to Dr. Nizami, without prompt treatment, the body’s temperature continues to rise, leading to severe heat stroke. During this stage, the body’s internal systems begin to fail, including the central nervous system and organs such as the liver, kidneys, and muscles.
“In severe cases, heat stroke can cause life-threatening damage within a few minutes to hours.

Rapid progression can lead to multi-organ failure, brain damage, and death if the body temperature is not quickly reduced. Quick action, such as moving the person to a cooler environment, initiating cooling measures (like ice packs or cool water immersion), and seeking emergency medical care, can significantly improve the chances of survival,” he explains.