Death toll rises to 76 in Egypt’s heatwave

Fifteen more people died earlier this week after a heat wave set temperatures in Egypt soaring, raising the death toll to 76, the country’s health ministry said in a statement, state-run paper al-Ahram reported on Thursday.

The ministry said six of the deaths were in the crowded capital Cairo, adding that most of those killed were elderly.

In addition, 187 people, who were admitted to hospitals in other provinces, after suffering from fatigue.

High humidity levels worsened sweltering temperatures of up to 47 degrees Celsius in Egypt, killing at least 61 people between Sunday and Tuesday last week.

Some regional meteorologists are warning that the mercury could yet rise to unprecedented levels.