Published 20.21
In France, 74 people have died in drowning incidents in the extreme heat since June 18, according to the French government.
At least four children between the ages of one and four have been found dead in overheated cars, French media write.
It is in the wake of the persistent heat wave with record high temperatures in large parts of Europe that the number of drowning incidents in the country has skyrocketed.
On Saturday evening, French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez stated that 74 people had died in drowning-related deaths – mostly in places where bathing was prohibited or unsupervised. Drownings in private pools have also occurred, according to Nunez.
On Friday, an 18-month-old child was found dead after being found in an overheated car in a parking lot in Marseille. Three more similar deaths involving young children have occurred.
The heat in France has moved eastwards and on Saturday it was mainly in the eastern parts of the country that red heat warnings were issued.
It is still extremely hot around Europe. In Germany, it was 41.5 degrees in the town of Möckern-Drewits, the hottest temperature ever measured in the country. In the Czech Republic as well, where 40.8 degrees were measured in Doksany north of Prague.
In Switzerland, the heat record for the month of June has been broken for the third day in a row when the temperature rose to 39 degrees in the country’s northern city of Basel.
