Heat wave sweeps across southern Pakistan

With temperatures hovering around 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit), more than 700 people have died in the southern port city of Karachi alone in recent days. Nearly all the deaths in Pakistan's economic hub of around 20 million people occurred due to heat stroke and exhaustion. Meteorologist Abdur Rauf told AP the heat wave was the worst in at least a decade to strike the country.

Health officials fear the death toll could rise as some 4,000 people are being treated at hospitals as a result of the scorching heat. Doctors from army and civilian rescue agencies have set up dozens of temporary medical camps to treat people with dehydration and heat stroke, the military said.

The deaths came as the overwhelmingly Muslim country of around 200 million people observes the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, during which most people abstain from food or water from sunrise to sunset.

Hundreds are being treated for heat-related ailments, including fever and dehydration and stomach-related illnesses. Many of the victims are said to be elderly people from low income families. Those who can afford it rely on tankers of water being delivered to their homes.

Hours-long power outages also struck the city, leaving fans and air conditioners inoperable. The state-run water utility said electricity shortages have led to disruptions in the water supply system in Karachi, hampering the pumping of millions of gallons of water to consumers. As a result, some Karachi residents went for a bath in the sea to cool off.

However, Pakistan's Meteorological Office forecasts cooler weather and thunderstorms in the coming days due to a low depression developing in the Arabian Sea.

The provincial government, meanwhile, announced a public holiday to encourage residents to stay inside, an official said. Many of the victims have been laborers who toil outdoors. Some residents also took to hosing each other down with water on Tuesday to avoid collapsing from heat stroke. Here, Pakistanis cool themselves with water at a mosque.

The deaths come a month after neighboring India suffered a deadly heat wave, with more than 2,000 deaths. Most victims of the soaring temperatures were homeless and elderly people as well as construction workers. The southern states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh were among the worst-affected, with temperatures reaching 48 degrees Celsius in some areas.