As record-smashing heat waves grip the country at least 69 people have lost their lives in the Vancouver region of Canada.
Most of the dead in the Vancouver suburbs of Burnaby and Surrey, over the past 24 hours, were elderly or people with underlying health conditions, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) said.
Other local municipalities have said they, too, have responded to many sudden-death calls since Monday, but have yet to release tolls.
“Although still under investigation, heat is believed to be a contributing factor in the majority of the deaths,” RCMP Corporal Michael Kalanj said in a statement.
Climate change is causing record-setting temperatures to become more frequent. Globally, the decade to 2019 was the hottest recorded, and the five hottest years have all occurred within the last five years.
