France’s record-breaking late-June heatwave has placed immense pressure on funeral homes, hospitals, and elderly care facilities as excess deaths continue to rise. Funeral director Gautier Caton said his company received bodies at up to three times the normal rate, forcing him to rent refrigerated containers and even assist overcrowded funeral services in Paris.
Preliminary figures show at least 2,025 excess deaths during the heatwave, with temperatures reaching 43.8°C. Authorities said deaths increased sharply in Paris and several other regions, exposing the growing risks posed by extreme heat, an ageing population, and inadequate infrastructure despite improvements made after the deadly 2003 heatwave.
Experts and healthcare workers say France needs long-term investment in cooling hospitals, nursing homes, and public facilities to better cope with increasingly frequent heatwaves. Many elderly care homes still lack sufficient air-conditioned spaces, while officials warn that the final death toll could rise further as more data becomes available.
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