French heatwave linked to approximately 1,000 additional fatalities, reports national health authority

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French health officials said Sunday there had been around 1,000 more deaths than expected during a record-breaking heatwave that has baked much of western Europe for days.

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“Since June 24, approximately 1,000 additional deaths (unconsolidated figures) have been observed compared to the deaths recorded in previous months,” Public Health France said in a statement.

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The agency said areas under red alert for heat had been particularly badly affected, and 85 percent of the deaths had been those aged 65 and over.

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The sharpest increases, the agency said, involved people dying at home, especially in the Ile-de-France region that includes Paris and its suburbs.

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“This observation serves as a reminder of the need for measures of solidarity toward people who are isolated or experiencing profound loneliness, including in highly urbanised areas,” the statement said.

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The agency stressed that the figures were preliminary and were likely to be an underestimate.

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The heat eased across France on Sunday after days of punishing temperatures that saw the mercury rising above 40C in many areas.

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