Geneva, July 22 (UNI/Sputnik) No fewer than 1,700 people have died in Spain and Portugal during recent heatwave, as exposure to extreme temperatures exacerbates underlying health conditions, WHO Regional Director for Europe Hans Kluge said on Friday.
"This year, we have already witnessed more than 1700 needless deaths in the present heatwave in Spain and Portugal alone," Kluge’s statement read.
As the cause behind many of these deaths, he noted that extreme heat exposure often exacerbates existing health conditions. Heatstroke and other serious forms of abnormally high body temperature cause distress and premature death, with infants and children, as well as the elderly, at greater risk.