French Heat Deaths Up To 3,000 - BBC

[hatrack]

"The French health ministry has said the deaths of up to 3,000 people in recent weeks could be attributed to the European heatwave.

The figures were the firest to be given by the government, which previously said that there was no accurate way of measuring deaths from the heat.

EDIT

French officials say comprehensive nationwide casualty figures will be released next week, based on a survey of private and public medical institutions, including retirement homes.

But the BBC's Alan Little in Paris says the health ministry's announcement is a humiliating turnaround for the government.

EDIT

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3150097.stm

[jenk]

1. seems a little steep, 300 to 3,000 so quickly?

I doubt it

[madrchsod]

3. seems to be alot

but chicago`s death toll a few years ago was questioned but proven true. france has never seen temps this high..many building have poor ventilation,no air cond,ect,ect.the health officals and the public prob. never realized how fast this can happen (that`s what happened in chicago) and of a sudden people are dying.

[SaintLouisBlues]

8. I wouldn't doubt it

Hundreds died in the St. Louis heat wave in 1980 (not that it received any publicity) as well as the Chicago disaster and both these cities are used to hot summers and most places have air conditioning. Most who died in the US did not have AC, and the vast majority of French homes are not air conditioned.

A callous arguement used by many (mainly Repukes of course) was that these mainly elderly victims would have died soon anyway, and the heat just accelerated the process. But doctors determine cause of death, and who can say that for the lack of a cool respite, these elderly victims could not have enjoyed many more years on the planet.

Unfortunately, it usually takes something terrible to happen before anyone does anything. St. Louis set up a model system for heat waves that has saved many lifes in the mean time.

Chicago had no such process in place, and after that disaster they implemented the St. Louis plan. Paris needs to do the same evidently.

[onehandle]

4. They said "over a thousand" on CNN this morning. nt

nt

[hatrack]

5. Someone (Paris emergency services head?) has called for army help

It's not just elderly people dying in nursing homes and hospitals.
There are also (apparently) a lot of cases of elderly Parisians who die in their apartments.

Many of those who die, their neighbors assume, are on vacation. No one suspects anything's wrong until a couple of days later, when . . . well, you get the picture.

Some city mortuaries are already full to capacity.

[Divernan]

6. Where did you get the 300 number?

I couldn't find it in the article. I can believe the very high number because many of the dead were elderly, living in unairconditioned homes or facilities. Many of them would have died in earlier years if they had been submitted to such conditions. This prolonged period of extreme heat is a nightmare for Europe with its many unairconditioned homes and offices. (I am old enough to remember miserable summers in the sweltering heat and humidity of St. Louis, Washington, D.C. and Baltimore - no air conditioning.)

[bluestateguy]

2. Well I hope the Freepers are happy

They and Pat Robertson will probably say this was "God's Justice" for France's opposition to the "just" war in Iraq.

[Garion_55]

7. Ask and ye shall receive..

[Fair and Balanced]

10. Freepers are loving it

YOu see, they normally don't bathe..they went into the tubs to cool off, and they drowned..

A few hundred air conditioners probably won't cure their serious case of stupidity.

I can just see it now some guy gettng run over by a steamroller and since the coroner doesnt have time to do an autopsy report, he will just put down "died from heat exhaustion."

Wow. Only 98 degrees and 3,000 people die. That's not very indicative of a robust gene pool. No wonder the French didn't want to get involved in Iraq - they'd wither in the sun.


Since Methane is a "green house gas", I fart in the French direction!

There's a huge difference between being murdered and surviving 98 degree temps. It does not require a PhD to figure out that it's hot outside. Just a miniuscule amount of imagination is required to solve the problem - it's apparently lacking in that society. There's no excuse that that many should die from a mere 98 degrees.

They are one of the biggest economies in the world... let them buy their own A/C units!


Unbeilivable the French don't even know how to fight a heat wave


"When did the heat wave start? Two weeks ago? How many citizens have died in the past two weeks? 3000? Okay we have out number."
"But chief, some of those people were traffic fatalities. Some were terminal cancer patients. Some were street crime victims."
"Do you like your cushy job with the State? Then shut up."


As Marie Antoinette said, "Let 'em eat cake."

Just reported on Fox News : The French Govt. officially surrendered to the Sun today and begged for mercy.


http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/964031/posts

[Paschall]

11. Always such humane sentiment at Freeperville

I suppose it's no use reminding them that 3,000 deaths is more than the number from the 9/11 attacks? Or that the US has only 5 percent of the world's population but consumes 25 percent of the world's resources? Nah... nothing to do against such indomitable ignorance.

[maxsolomon]

16. i was just told

by a macho dickhead freep type that it should be 3 million.

this country basically allowed ours to exist & we rejoice at their deaths? such ignorance...

[hatrack]

18. And when it's the turn of Tennessee, or Arizona, or Chicago, or Houston

And 3,000 people die, what will they say?

Oh, never mind, they'll attribute it to God Moving In Mysterious Ways, probably because he's pissed off about abortion, or Hollywood, or a Democratic politician to be named later.

Then they'll crank up the a/c a little higher and watch more Fox News.

[kathee]

9. And we are supposed to believe

that only five soldiers have died from the heat in Iraq.

:eyes:

[femmecahors]

12. It is horrible here . . .

I've been in southwestern France since the first of June, and I can't describe how horrible the heat is here. What the FREEPERS don't understand is that the heat has been constant for weeks on end. And it's more than just 98 degrees. And since the French aren't energy gluttons, and they haven't had the need in the past, they don't usually need air conditioners . . . most of the ones I know even refuse to have them in their cars.

But FREEPERS can't understand because their fat American asses are sitting in Florida and Palm Springs with air conditioners.

The trees here are already losing their leaves.
The crops are dying. There won't be much wine.
I can barely find straw for my sheep.
We are on watering restrictions.

And most importantly and horribly . . . those who are dying are the OLD PEOPLE!!!!!! My 89 year old neighbor is on death's door now because of the heat.

And it isn't just FRANCE! It's all of Europe.

We had a bit of a break today and the forecast says we should start cooling down . . . I hope it comes in time for my neighbor.

[cprise]

13. Russia will be DRAGGED into signing Kyoto now

...if it is humanly possible.

And if anyone doubted that Europe would play the environmentalist role on the work stage, you can now be assured they will be nothing but!

[Guaranteed]

14. Holy Bejesus....this is horrible.....

And unbelievable...saw that number and did a double take.
Somebody needs to get those people some A/C. PRONTO!

[chris_b]

17. no a/c is needed

but someone who stops the us-americans to drive suv's and emit most of the worlds co2, thats one of the most important reason for the changing climate.

follow the kyoto-protocoll, that would help enough, thx!

chris

[ErasureAcer]

15. It was pretty damn hot when I was there in early june...

I can only imagine how hot it is now.