UPDATE: On Wednesday, BC’s Coroner reported a further 200 people have died.
433 people have died in the past five days. It’s unclear how many from the heat.
Since the heat wave began last Friday, there has been a significant increase in deaths, according to BC’s chief Coroner, Lisa Lapointe.
Lapointe released a statement Tuesday afternoon suspecting that the increase in deaths are caused by the extreme heat.
In the statement, BC Coroners Service said that they would normally receive approximately 130 reports of death over a four-day period, but from Friday, June 25th through 3 p.m. on Monday, June 28th, at least 233 deaths were reported, with numbers anticipated to increase as data continues to be updated.
“Coroners are carefully gathering all information available for each death reported, to determine the cause and manner of death, and whether excessive heat played a role,” said Lapointe.
“I extend my condolences to those who have lost a loved one during this unprecedented time.”
Lapointe warned that environmental heat exposure can lead to severe or fatal results, particularly in older people, infants, young children, and those with chronic illnesses.
Since the beginning of the heat wave on Friday, June 25th, BC has broken records for heat in recorded history.
Cooling centres in Nanaimo and across Vancouver Island have been established between 8:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. for those who need them to access them.
