B.C. recorded 16 suspected heat deaths during recent heat wave, coroner says
There were 16 suspected heat-related deaths recorded in British Columbia during the sweltering temperatures that began in late July and continued into early August, coroners revealed Tuesday.
The B.C. Coroner Service said the deaths were recorded between July 26 and Aug. 3, and more than half involved people who were 70 years old or older. The youngest people suspected of succumbing to the heat were two people in their 40s.
Eight of the 16 deaths were in the Fraser Health region, and six were in the Interior Health region. Vancouver Coastal Health and Island Health each recorded one death, and there were none in Northern Health.
Officials noted the data are considered preliminary, and "subject to change as coroners' investigations conclude."
Heat-related deaths are defined as those in which the deceased's body temperature indicates hyperthermia, or there is evidence to support that heat was a factor. That evidence can be circumstantial, related to the scene where the body was found, or come from the deceased's medical history, according to the coroner.
There were dozens of daily temperature records broken in communities across B.C. during the recent heat wave, including some that had been in place for decades. Some areas saw temperatures as high as 40 C.
Health officials warn those conditions are particularly dangerous for vulnerable residents, including seniors, people with chronic illnesses, and the homeless.
The temperatures didn’t reach the highs recorded during last year's devastating heat dome, which saw the Village of Lytton break the country's all-time temperature record before being all but wiped out by a wildfire.
A death panel review released by the B.C. Coroners Service in June determined a staggering 619 lives were lost to extreme heat last year in the province, and that nearly all the deaths occurred indoors.
Approximately two-thirds of the victims were age 70 or older, and more than half lived alone.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Alice Munro, Nobel literature winner revered as short story master, dead at 92
Nobel laureate Alice Munro, the Canadian literary giant who became one of the world's most esteemed contemporary authors and one of history's most honoured short story writers, has died at age 92.
Latest updates on air quality alerts, and when the smoke may reach Ontario and Quebec
Wildfires have led Environment Canada to issue air quality advisories for parts of B.C., Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories, as forecasters warn the smoke could drift farther east.
Are these Canada's best restaurants? Annual top 100 list revealed
The annual list of Canada's top restaurants in the country was just released and here are the places that made the 2024 cut.
Attack on prison van in France kills 2 officers, inmate escapes
Armed assailants killed two French prison officers and seriously wounded three others in an attack on a convoy in Normandy on Tuesday and an inmate escaped, officials said.
Steal a car, lose your driver's licence for 10 years under new Ontario proposal
Repeat car thieves may face lengthy licence bans under proposed changes to Ontario’s Highway Traffic Act.
$1.6B parts plant for Honda electric vehicle batteries coming to Niagara Region
A Japanese company has announced it will build an approximately $1.6-billion plant in Ontario's Niagara Region that will make a key electric vehicle battery component as part of Honda's supply chain in the province.
B.C. brings in law on name changes on day that child killer's new identity revealed
The BC NDP have tabled legislation aimed at stopping people who have committed certain heinous acts from changing their names.
Manitoba premier to visit areas impacted by wildfire
Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew will get a close-up look at the devastation from a large wildfire burning in northern Manitoba Tuesday.
1 killed, 3 injured in head-on crash on Hwy. 417 in Ottawa
Ontario Provincial Police are responding to a fatal collision involving two vehicles on Highway 417 in Ottawa's west end on Tuesday morning.