Japan heatwave 2018: Japan declares NATURAL DISASTER – death toll mounts
JAPAN’s “unprecedented” two-week heatwave has been declared a natural disaster by the country’s weather agency as the number of deaths rose sharply – here are the latest updates.
By KAT HOPPS
Express.co.uk
Tue, Jul 24, 2018
Japan weather agency official Molokai Takekawa warned the country was facing “unprecedented levels of heat in some areas” as temperatures hit 40C on Tuesday.
He added the heatwave “is fatal, and we recognise it as a natural disaster”.
At least 65 people died of heatstroke during the last week while 22,647 people were hospitalised, Japan’s Fire and Disaster Management Agency said in a statement.
That compares with a total of 80 people who have died since the hot weather began.
At least 13 people died yesterday alone, according to Kyodo news.
The “vast majority” of deaths were elderly people, said Fumiaki Fujibe, a researcher from Tokyo Metropolitan University.
He added: “About half of the people sent to emergency rooms are over 65, but they account for 80 percent of the deaths.”
However, a six-year-old boy on a field trip died after losing consciousness on the way back to his school.
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