Heat wave kills 14 people in South Korea

At least 14 people have died in South Korea in the past two months due to a record heat wave that has also killed more than 1 million farm animals, the government said Thursday. According to South Korea's Ministry of Health and Welfare, since June, 14 people have died of heat-related illnesses, such as heatstroke and dehydration, with 11 such cases reported in just two weeks since July 25 when a nationwide heat warning was first issued, South Korea's (Yonhap) News Agency reported. The number of patients under treatment for heat-related illnesses in the capital city has nearly tripled this summer from a year earlier amid the ongoing heat wave, data showed Thursday. The city has been gripped by prolonged scorching heat, with the mercury often soaring above 35 degrees Celsius and nighttime highs staying above 25 C, resulting in the most consecutive "tropical nights." The Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries said more than one-million livestock have died due to the heat over the last three weeks since July 20th, including 960-thousand chickens.