Amid scorching temperatures reaching 44C, a significant rise in mortalities is being witnessed at French mortuaries. The recent unparalleled heatwave has overwhelmed funeral services in Paris and surrounding areas, leading to a backlog of bodies and incessant phone calls. Zouhaeir Hertelli, facing an overflow in his cold room, has been compelled to decline new admissions repeatedly.
The dire situation has been described as catastrophic by Hertelli, who is inundated with hundreds of inquiries. As the heatwave swept across Europe, France began to assess the devastating impact on human lives. The process of documenting heat-related fatalities may extend over several weeks or even months, yet the severe consequences of the relentless heatwave are already evident, especially affecting elderly individuals who passed away in their residences.
The toll from the scorching temperatures has been staggering, with a surge in deaths reported during the hottest days. Public Health France disclosed that over 1,200 fatalities were recorded on the record-breaking day, followed by more than 1,400 deaths on subsequent days. Comparatively, the mortality rate before the heatwave hovered around 900 to 1,000 daily.
The agency cautioned that the estimated additional deaths during the intense heatwave are likely to rise as more death certificates are processed, particularly for individuals who died at home or in elderly care facilities where deaths are often not electronically documented. A significant proportion of the fatalities involved individuals aged 65 and above, with a notable increase in deaths at home, particularly in the Paris region. Consequently, Paris mortuaries quickly reached full capacity, necessitating the installation of temporary storage units and additional spaces in city hospitals.
Veronique Bertrand, a funeral director in Paris, expressed concerns about the isolation of many deceased individuals found at home, attributing their deaths to the extreme heat. She emphasized the importance of community awareness and solidarity in preventing such tragedies, urging vigilance towards vulnerable individuals living alone. Bertrand stressed the need for collective action and a return to neighborly care to avert future heat-related casualties.
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