Heatwave Kills 12,000
By Kim Housego
In Italy, city authorities reported unusually large numbers of deaths in August compared with last year. But Europe is divided over how to go about the politically sensitive task of tallying heat deaths, with some health officials dismissive of France's10,000-victim estimate.
The French compared mortality rates this summer to last and attributed the difference to the heat. Some believe that if the same simple method is applied in Spain and Italy, their death tolls will soar.
The Italian health ministry previously insisted it was virtually impossible to establish a clear link between deaths and high temperatures. But yesterday it promised an investigation, under pressure from advocacy groups shocked by media reports that said death rates rose dramatically early this month.
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