South Korea - Massive Heatwave Blamed for 42 Deaths

42 people have died of heat-related illnesses in South Korea as the country endures a record heatwave with temperatures not felt in more than 100 years. This, in fact, marks the highest number of deaths since the nation started officially counting casualties due to heat in 2011.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">At least 42 people have died in South Korea, as the country grapples with temperatures unseen in more than 100 years <a href="https://t.co/YR5SvGkiyN">https://t.co/YR5SvGkiyN</a></p>&mdash; SCMP News (@SCMPNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/SCMPNews/status/1027444001505521664?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 9, 2018</a></blockquote>

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Officials also said that since the end of May more than 3,400 people have been treated for heat-related illnesses such as heatstroke.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Local authorities in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Gangneung?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Gangneung</a> city have placed these enormous ice blocks at bus stations amid the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/heatwave?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#heatwave</a> that has been hitting <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SOUTHKOREA?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SOUTHKOREA</a> in the past days <a href="https://t.co/2wWwVNVpJY">pic.twitter.com/2wWwVNVpJY</a></p>&mdash; Andrés Sánchez Braun (@AndresSBraun) <a href="https://twitter.com/AndresSBraun/status/1025945218778972161?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 5, 2018</a></blockquote>

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The country has been grappling with extreme temperatures since late last month. Temperatures in capital Seoul have reached a scorching 39.6 degrees Celsius (103 Fahrenheit) just last week, making it the hottest temperature recorded in 111 years. Seoul is the most populous area in the country, being home to half of the country’s population.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">This year’s heat wave, which began in mid-July, is one of the most severe heat waves in Korean history. On Aug. 1, Korea sizzled to its highest-ever temperature of 40.7 degrees Celsius, since the country began recording… <a href="https://t.co/hiRO17zz6r">https://t.co/hiRO17zz6r</a></p>&mdash; Mukunthan Ramasamy (@mukunthanram) <a href="https://twitter.com/mukunthanram/status/1027445968999010304?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 9, 2018</a></blockquote>

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The extreme temperatures have severely affected the crops across the border in North Korea, a country that has often faced food shortages. Unfortunately, most of the casualties were elderly and poor people who lack air conditioning in their homes.

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Even the military is feeling the ill-effects of the extreme heat. A conventional ammunition depot exploded due to a “chemical reaction due to high temperature heat.”

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">People enjoy a swim at Everland amusement park on Aug. 2 in Yongin. South Korea grappled with a heat wave in recent weeks following the rainy season as temperatures hit a record high 40.3 degrees. (VCG/hung Sung-Jun) <a href="https://t.co/sfHUlucG6Q">pic.twitter.com/sfHUlucG6Q</a></p>&mdash; Global Times (@globaltimesnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/globaltimesnews/status/1025142981454639104?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 2, 2018</a></blockquote>

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In order to cope with the emergency situation and unprecedented conditions, the government has decided to cut electricity prices for July and August so citizens will use air conditioner more and other energy-intensive appliances.

The government is also planning to revise laws to include extreme heat as a form of natural disaster so victims can avail of compensation for heat-related deaths or illness.

Source:

https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/2158956/heatwave-causes-record-number-deaths-south-korea