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PARIS: France on Monday counted its heat-related deaths, as a funeral business representative said Paris morgues have been overwhelmed by a spike in fatalities during a record-breaking heatwave.
The government defended its response to the heatwave, which eased on Sunday after days of punishing temperatures that disrupted daily life and forced the closure of many schools and landmark tourist attractions.
Few homes in France are equipped with air-conditioning units, and most schools are not designed to cope with extreme heat. Elisabeth Charrier, head of the National Funeral Federation, said funeral home occupancy — which typically ranges between 30 percent and 45pc during the summer — has climbed above 66pc nationwide.
In some locations, mortuaries reached full capacity, particularly in urban centres, she added. “The main difficulty is in central Paris, where the only two funeral homes have been at full capacity since last Friday,” Charrier said.
