French heatwave death toll nears 15,000

The death toll in France from August’s blistering heatwave has reached nearly 15,000, according to a government-commissioned report released today, surpassing a prior tally by more than 3,000.

A study by scientists at the National Institute of Health and Medical Research, determined that 14,802 people had died in August.

The toll exceeds the prior government count of 11,435, a figure that was based only on deaths in the first two weeks of the month.

The new estimate includes deaths from the second half of August, after the record-breaking temperatures of the first half of the month had abated.

The bulk of the victims – many of them elderly – died during the height of the heatwave, which brought suffocating temperatures of up to 104 degrees in a country where air conditioning is rare.

Others apparently were greatly weakened during the peak temperatures but did not die until days later.

The new estimate comes a day after the French Parliament released a harshly-worded report blaming the deaths on a complex health system, widespread failure among agencies and health services to co-ordinate efforts, and chronically insufficient care for the elderly.

The heatwave swept across much of Europe, but the death toll was far higher in France than in any other country.