Heatwave in Pakistan's Sindh province leaves 120 dead

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  • From the section Asia
Relatives of someone who died in the heatwave, EDHI morgue in Karachi 21 June 2015
Many families in Karachi have seen their loved ones suffer in the heat
More than 120 people have died during a heatwave in Pakistan's southern Sindh province. 
Health officials say most of the deaths have been in Karachi, which has seen temperatures as high as 45 degrees Celsius (113 deg F) in recent days. 
The city has seen power cuts, caused by an increased demand for electricity caused by the extreme weather.
The head of the emergency department at Jinnah Hospital in Karachi said the majority of the victims were elderly.
"Patients with heat stroke brought to the hospital had high-grade fever, altered state of consciousness, dehydration and fits," said Dr Semee Jamali,
"Since Saturday 114 people have died in Karachi and eight others in three districts of Sindh," provincial health secretary Saeed Mangnejo told the Agence France-Presse news agency.
According to Pakistan's metrological office, very hot and humid weather is likely to continue on Monday, but cooler weather is forecast from Tuesday. 
The all-time record temperature in Karachi is 47 degrees Celsius (117 degrees Fahrenheit), recorded in 1979.
Nearly 1,700 died in a heatwave in neighbouring India last month.
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Curtains to protect against the heat are in great demand

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