Americas

Americas

Heat wave kills 74 people in US

09 July 2012 13:08 (UTC +04:00)

APA reports quoting NBC news that cooler air swept southward in the eastern half of the country, bringing down some temperatures by 15 or more degrees from Saturday’s highs, which topped 100 in cities including Philadelphia, Washington, St. Louis, Indianapolis and Louisville, Ky. For many areas, the cooler temperatures were ushered in by thunderstorms that knocked out power to thousands. In New Jersey, a line of strong, fast-moving storms knocked out power to nearly 70,000 on Saturday night.

The heat was blamed for at least 74 deaths across the country in the past two weeks, according to NBC News. A 4-month-old girl died and a 16-month-old girl was hospitalized in suburban Indianapolis after they were found Saturday trapped in separate cars during 105-degree heat. In Marion County, Ind., a 92-year-old man was found dead inside his home that was closed up and not ventilated and a 54-year old man was found dead outside near his residence in extreme heat on Saturday. And in New Jersey, a 48-year-old woman was struck and killed by lightning on Saturday night while walking along a sea wall with friends and family at a Monmouth County beach.