During the heat wave between July 26 and Aug. 3, 16 people died due to heat-related illness in the province according to a preliminary report by the B.C. Coroner.
Most of the deaths occured in Fraser Health with eight deaths, and Interior Health with six deaths. Vancouver Coastal and Island Health each had one death, and no people died in Northern Health.
The numbers of deaths are preliminary and subject to change as coroners continue to investigate deaths during this period.
People between the ages of 70-79 had the highest number of deaths at six, and there were no deaths younger than 40 years old.
A heat-related death is when the body temperature is keeping with hyperthermia or if there is evidence to support heat played a significant causal effect on the death.
The number of deaths was lower than the 2021 heat dome, where 619 people died, but the temperatures did not reach the same level as during the heat dome.
CHEK News
