Return to Transcripts main page
American Morning
Heat's Deadly Toll
Aired August 14, 2003 - 08:33 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Let's talk about some information from Europe right now. A record-setting heatwave is being blamed for a staggering number of deaths. The French government is estimating about 3,000 people have died in France alone. Health officials there say they are in the middle of an epidemic.
Our Paula Hancocks is live in Paris with more on this.
Paula, hello once again.
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Daryn.
Yes, that's right, the French government coming out with their first official statement, first official figures of how many people have died from this heatwave. We're well into the second week of a heatwave in France. More than 3,000 people, they say, have died in the whole of France. They're getting their figures from the main funeral services company here in France, which say 3,230 deaths, all due to heat, all heat-related, over the last week. The week between the 6th and the 12th of August, which is more than a third of the amount of deaths than they would expect over this period of time.
Just to put this into some sort of context in Paris, as well, on average 39 people die a day for last year's figures, 180 people dying per day. Very averaged figures there. You can see just how many more people are being affected by the heat.
Now on Wednesday, the government actually announced a white plan. This is the plan that they announce when there's a terrorist attack, when there's a natural disaster or an epidemic.
Now they're calling this a climatic epidemic, so they called in this white plan, which basically means more people coming to sort out the situation there, putting more money into the system. They're trying to free up more beds, and also military hospitals. They are opening up to civilians.
So they are certainly trying to sort out the situation. Doctors, though, say it is far too little, far too late, this should have been done about a week and a half ago. As I say, we are well into the second week of this heatwave, and elderly and sick people have been suffering for some time -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Paula Hancocks joining us from Paris.
Paula, thank you for that.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired August 14, 2003 - 08:33 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Let's talk about some information from Europe right now. A record-setting heatwave is being blamed for a staggering number of deaths. The French government is estimating about 3,000 people have died in France alone. Health officials there say they are in the middle of an epidemic.
Our Paula Hancocks is live in Paris with more on this.
Paula, hello once again.
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Daryn.
Yes, that's right, the French government coming out with their first official statement, first official figures of how many people have died from this heatwave. We're well into the second week of a heatwave in France. More than 3,000 people, they say, have died in the whole of France. They're getting their figures from the main funeral services company here in France, which say 3,230 deaths, all due to heat, all heat-related, over the last week. The week between the 6th and the 12th of August, which is more than a third of the amount of deaths than they would expect over this period of time.
Just to put this into some sort of context in Paris, as well, on average 39 people die a day for last year's figures, 180 people dying per day. Very averaged figures there. You can see just how many more people are being affected by the heat.
Now on Wednesday, the government actually announced a white plan. This is the plan that they announce when there's a terrorist attack, when there's a natural disaster or an epidemic.
Now they're calling this a climatic epidemic, so they called in this white plan, which basically means more people coming to sort out the situation there, putting more money into the system. They're trying to free up more beds, and also military hospitals. They are opening up to civilians.
So they are certainly trying to sort out the situation. Doctors, though, say it is far too little, far too late, this should have been done about a week and a half ago. As I say, we are well into the second week of this heatwave, and elderly and sick people have been suffering for some time -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Paula Hancocks joining us from Paris.
Paula, thank you for that.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
