Sao Paulo, February 11: A health official in the Brazilian city of Santos says 32 elderly people have died during a heat wave this week.
The city’s health ministry says the fatalities were all people between 60 and 90 years old with pre-existing conditions such as diabetes or hypertension.
The first deaths were registered Monday, when the temperature in Santos reached 39 degrees Celsius (102 Farenheit). Temperatures have stayed well above 30 degrees (86 F) in the following days.
Luiz Fernando Gomes da Silva, the city health ministry’s coordinator for the elderly, is urging people to drink a lot of liquids amid the heat.
–Agencies