Sumatra
Over 50 dead after torrential rains in Sumatra
TT-AP-AFP
Updated 17.26 | Published 13.46
Drone photo shows a village affected by the large floods caused by torrential rains in West Sumatra in Indonesia over the weekend. Photo: Sutan Malik Kayo/AP/TT
The death toll is rising after the major floods and landslides that hit the Indonesian island of Sumatra over the weekend. The death toll is now up to 57 and 22 people are missing.
Local authorities warn that the death toll may rise.
Among other things, the rain fell on an active volcano in the area, sending rocks and solidified masses of lava tumbling towards communities below.
Several houses were swept away in the downpour and rescue workers state that several of the victims have been found there.
One of those whose house was destroyed is Meli Karmila, who managed to escape to the second floor of another house by climbing onto a car that was stuck - while carrying her child in her arms.
- When I saw all the water. Oh God. I felt like I was going to die. My house was damaged - destroyed, she told the AFP news agency.
More than 3,300 people have had to be evacuated, according to local authorities. In the search for survivors, rescue workers are working with drones, excavators and bare hands to dig through mud and rubble.
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Study: 150,000 die from extreme heat every year
Sofia Eriksson/TT
Updated 20.43 | Published 20.22
The extreme heat is killing thousands of people, especially those who are already vulnerable, but comes stealthily in a different way than natural disasters that strike with immediate and devastating force.
It also takes longer to determine whether the heat has led to excess mortality among the population than to count victims of a storm. But in 2018, for example, 700 people are estimated to have died as a result of the heat in Sweden, and over 70,000 deaths are linked to the hot summer that prevailed in Europe in 2003.
Thirty years
Experts often look at the effects of individual heat waves linked to excess mortality in limited areas. A new modeling study, published in the scientific journal Plos Medicine, has targeted the global effects by analyzing daily death tolls and temperatures at 750 locations in 43 countries on five continents over 30 years.
There is no uniform definition of a heat wave. The study includes days that were warmer than 95 percent of all days during the warm season at each location and that persisted for at least two days. The calculations were then done in three steps.
The researchers conclude that between 1990 and 2019, over 153,000 deaths per year can be linked to heat waves around the world. Most deaths occur in Asia, but as a percentage of the population, the figure is higher in Europe, especially in the southern and eastern parts.
A weakness is that there are no statistics on deaths from certain places, including in the Arabian Peninsula and in South Asia, which the researchers tried to correct with data from areas with similar conditions.
Experts often look at the effects of individual heat waves linked to excess mortality in limited areas. A new modeling study, published in the scientific journal Plos Medicine, has targeted the global effects by analyzing daily death tolls and temperatures at 750 locations in 43 countries on five continents over 30 years.
There is no uniform definition of a heat wave. The study includes days that were warmer than 95 percent of all days during the warm season at each location and that persisted for at least two days. The calculations were then done in three steps.
The researchers conclude that between 1990 and 2019, over 153,000 deaths per year can be linked to heat waves around the world. Most deaths occur in Asia, but as a percentage of the population, the figure is higher in Europe, especially in the southern and eastern parts.
A weakness is that there are no statistics on deaths from certain places, including in the Arabian Peninsula and in South Asia, which the researchers tried to correct with data from areas with similar conditions.
Beats differently
No place on earth is immune to the health effects of heat, say the researchers, who, however, highlight how some areas are hit harder than others. Most deaths from heat waves occur in areas with dry climates and lower average incomes.
The socio-economic effects of the heat waves are expected to grow. To reduce vulnerability and inequality, the study calls for long-term strategies that include emission reductions, climate adaptation and education efforts.
No place on earth is immune to the health effects of heat, say the researchers, who, however, highlight how some areas are hit harder than others. Most deaths from heat waves occur in areas with dry climates and lower average incomes.
The socio-economic effects of the heat waves are expected to grow. To reduce vulnerability and inequality, the study calls for long-term strategies that include emission reductions, climate adaptation and education efforts.
FACTS
Health effects of heat waves
Sustained periods of heat can cause health problems and increased mortality.The negative health effects of the heat include relatively mild symptoms such as dehydration and reduced general condition as well as more serious symptoms such as heat stroke and heart attack.
Risk groups for a heat wave are the elderly, the chronically ill, people with disabilities, young children and pregnant women, as well as people taking medication that affects the body's ability to adjust body heat and fluid balance.
Source: Public Health Agency
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