By KIM HOUSEGO, Associated Press Writer
PARIS - Europe's deadly heat wave claimed more than 2,000 lives in countries outside of France, where an estimated 10,000 have died, according to official reports. Italy, which had refused to release figures, bowed to public outcry over increased deaths and agreed Friday to investigate the toll.
The Associated Press compiled reports from hospitals and local and national governments about the deaths from 18 countries. Outside France, the highest official estimates came from Portugal, with 1,300 deaths, and the Netherlands, with 500-1,000.
At the height of the two-week heat wave this month, unusually large numbers of deaths were reported compared to last year. But European nations are divided over how to go about the task of tallying heat deaths — the continent's largest hospital, the Allgemeines Krankenhaus in Austria, does not list heat as a cause of death, while the Czech Republic said it hasn't recorded a heat death since 1995.
Read the rest of the article here at Yahoo News
[This message has been edited by Brad (edited 08-22-2003).]
