A record-setting heat wave in northern Mexico is being blamed for a surge in deaths.
(Bloomberg) — A record-setting heat wave in northern Mexico is being blamed for a surge in deaths.
Reports of heat-related fatalities have become a political issue in Mexico, where President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has scoffed at the idea of a significant number of casualties tied to extreme weather, citing Health Ministry data last week showing only eight such deaths all year. The controversy has echoes to the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic, when government officials were accused of underreporting deaths.
An official from the civil registration office in the northern state of Nuevo Leon said that in the past two weeks, 850 deaths were recorded tied to heat stroke, the newspaper Milenio reported. A later story by the outlet said the number was wrong. An email seeking comment from health officials in the state went unanswered.
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The spike in deaths has left funeral homes in the country’s industrial hub overwhelmed. A majority of victims are elderly and officially listed as dying from heart attacks, according to workers at several funeral homes around Monterrey, the state capital. The number of bodies arriving last week was about triple the typical amount, creating a backlog that’s resulted in delayed funerals, said the workers, who asked not to be identified because they aren’t authorized to speak to journalists.
While the accompanying death certificates often list “myocardial infarction” — a heart attack — as the cause of death, funeral home employees say many of the victims seem to have died from heat stroke or severe dehydration.
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High temperatures in Monterrey have exceeded 100F (38C) every day since June 13, with the heat topping out at 109F on June 21. Forecasts call for highs in the upper- and mid-90s over the next week.
–With assistance from Brian K. Sullivan.
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