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
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Pilot reported fire onboard plane carrying fuel, attempted to return to Fairbanks just before crash
One of the two pilots aboard an airplane carrying fuel reported there was a fire on the airplane shortly before it crashed and burned outside Fairbanks, killing both people on board, a federal aviation official said Wednesday.
Police tangle with students in Texas and California as wave of campus protest against Gaza war grows
Police tangled with student demonstrators in Texas and California while new encampments sprouted Wednesday at Harvard and other colleges as school leaders sought ways to defuse a growing wave of pro-Palestinian protests.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
7 surveillance videos linked to extortions of South Asian home builders in Edmonton released
The Edmonton Police Service has released a number of surveillance videos related to a series of extortion cases in the city now dubbed 'Project Gaslight.'