Italy's old suffer in heat, deaths up 20 percent

ROME, Aug 17 (Reuters) - While high temperatures ease in many European countries, hot weather is still stifling Italy, fuelling a spate of forest fires and pushing up deaths in July and August by around 20 percent compared to last year.

There are no national figures available on the number of heat-related deaths, but officials blame the increase in deaths this summer on the soaring temperatures.

In Genoa, priests have taken the extraordinary step of authorising funerals for Sunday due to the high demand. Cemetery workers there told public television that employees had been called back early from vacation to deal with the emergency.

The victims have been mostly elderly with most deaths in the cities, where the old and handicapped often sweat out August alone while most residents are away on holiday.
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http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L17565489.htm

Perhaps the editorial board can give them advice on how to turn up the a/c and serve more ice water.

Dancing on the graves of old and sick people - how can that be seen as a proper way to make a point?
This "the poor don't have bread! So what? let them eat cake!" argumentation is damnable IMHO.

Especially as there wouldn't be less people suffering in a comparable US-heatwave.

my jaw literally dropped open while reading that trash. I wrote an angry letter telling them of my outrage. I can understand how someone could write it - I'm suspecting wingnut. But HOW was it allowed to be published? I am sickened.