11 die, 5,664 seek treatment as sweltering heatwave sweeps Japan

All ways are good to beat the sizzling heatwave in Japan- Twitter

Tokyo: The number of people severely affected heat-related medical issues in Japan has nearly tripled over one week.

The government said that 11 people died and 5,664 with heat exhaustion symptoms were taken to hospitals last week when temperatures rose sharply following the end of the rainy season in most areas. In the preceding week, 1,948 had to be taken to hospital for medical treatment.

Slightly more than half of the victims were 65 years and older, the Fire and Disaster Management Agency said.

According to local reports, 119 people showed serious symptoms and would have to stay at the hospital for at least three weeks, while 1,792 had less serious issues that would mean shorter stays.

The 11 deaths were reported in 11 different prefectures across the country. They included a 28-year-old man dressed in a mascot costume at an amusement park who danced for 20 minutes while wearing a 16kg outfit.

About 80 per cent of the 926 temperature monitoring posts across Japan marked 30 degrees Celsius or higher, the Meteorological Agency said.