[Anchor]
Nationwide heatwave continues, with a growing number of heat-related illness patients seeking treatment for heat exhaustion and heatstroke.
This summer, the number of patients has reached nearly 2,300, and over 700,000 livestock have died.
Let’s get more details from our reporter, Cha Jung-yoon!
How many heat illness patients have increased in a day?
[Reporter]
The number of heat-related illness patients showing symptoms like heatstroke and dehydration has increased by 53 in a day.
As a result, the cumulative number of heat-related illness patients this summer has reached 2,293.
There has been one more death, bringing the total number of deaths to 21 so far.
A 56-year-old man was found collapsed near his home in Jecheon, Chungbuk, and he eventually passed away during hospital treatment.
These statistics are based on data compiled by the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety from May 20th to the 11th of this month.
The number of heat illness patients this time exceeds the figure of 2,139 from the same period last year.
This is the highest level since the record-breaking heatwave of 2018, when a total of 3,841 heat illness patients were reported.
The ongoing heatwave has also caused property damage, such as livestock deaths, with poultry being the most affected.
So far, approximately 658,000 poultry, including ducks and chickens, and 45,000 pigs known to be susceptible to heat have died.
With rising sea temperatures, 895,000 fish in fish farms, including flatfish, have also suffered losses.
The Ministry of the Interior has elevated the disaster response level to ‘serious’ from ‘alert’ since the evening of July 31st and has been responding accordingly to the heatwave crisis.
Prior to this, the government reviewed measures for vulnerable groups to heatwaves and discussed key responses by agencies.
In 17 cities and provinces nationwide, around 3,900 emergency personnel are on duty for heatwave emergencies.
First, they are inspecting the protection status of vulnerable elderly people to heatwaves and conducting patrols to early detect homeless people in crisis.
They are also ensuring rest breaks for workers exposed to extreme heat in construction, logistics, and distribution operations, as well as recommending the suspension of daytime farming activities in rural areas.
However, it is forecasted that the majority of the country will feel extremely hot with temperatures around 35 degrees Celsius for the foreseeable future, so there is a possibility of a continual increase in heat-related illness patients.
Please take care of your health.
This is Cha Jung-yoon reporting.
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