More than 500 people die in Pakistan heatwave, people sue power companies: report

More than 500 people died in Karachi, Pakistan, last month due to a heatwave that prompted an appeals court to issue notices to power company K Electric and others.

Karachi: Pakistan was hit by a severe heatwave in June this year, killing more than 500 people in Karachi, ARY News reported. Following the deaths, the Appeal Court issued notices to electricity producers, including K-Electric. A petition has reportedly been filed in the Appeal Court suing K-Electric over the deaths.

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According to ARY News, the petitioner said last month’s heatwave left between 500 and 600 people dead in Karachi and accused electricity producer K-Electric of “deliberately” causing blackouts lasting between 10 and 16 hours.

In their petition, they said the police had refused to register a case against the electrician.

The petition further stated that the police have refused to register a case against the company and sought directions to the SHO Preedi Police Station to record a statement and register a case, according to ARY News.

The Sindh High Court (SHC) while hearing the petition issued notices to SSP Complaint Redressal Centre South, SHO Preedi Police Station and K-Electric.

The Sessions Court further issued notices and asked them to reply by July 30.

Earlier this month, during the Muharram March in Karachi, Jinnah Hospital reported over 200 cases of heatstroke at its hospital in Numaish area of ​​the city, according to ARY News.

Karachi has recently been hit by a heatwave, with temperatures reaching 40 degrees and humidity at a humid 53 percent. The Meteorological Department has acknowledged the situation, noting that the scorching heat has significantly increased anxiety in the city. Moreover, the hottest day this year was when temperatures reached 42 degrees. The heatwaves that hit in 2015 and 2024 were due to slack air pressure.