SEOUL: South Korea’s heatwave death toll rose to 21 so far this year, with almost 2,300 people treated for heat-related illnesses, the interior ministry said Tuesday, Xinhua reported.
A 56-year-old man died during hospital treatment on Monday after being found on the street near his home the previous day, according to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety.
The death raised the heat-related death toll to 21 between May 20 and Aug 11 amid the continued scorching heat across the country.
The total number of patients treated for heat-related illnesses between May 20 and Aug 11 climbed to 2,293, higher than the 2,139 tallied in the same period of 2023.
The ongoing heatwave killed 703,000 heads of livestock, including 658,000 poultry, along with 895,000 cultured fish, from June 11 to Aug 12.
The weather agency expected the heatwave to continue for the time being in most areas of the country with tropical nights forecast to hit the western region and the coastal areas.
Tuesday’s daytime temperatures were estimated at a range of 30-36 degrees Celsius nationwide.
