33 deaths in Quebec attributed to heat: health officials
MONTREAL — The steamy conditions that have prevailed in Central and Eastern Canada for several days have contributed to 33 deaths in Quebec, health officials said Thursday.
The number includes 18 in Montreal, seven in the Eastern Townships, five in central Quebec, two just south of Montreal and one in Laval, Horacio Arruda, Quebec’s director of public health, told a news conference.
Public Health Minister Lucie Charlebois said none of the deaths occurred in a hospital or long-term care facility and that the people who died were already suffering from health problems, including mental-health issues or drug and alcohol addiction.
Dr. Mylene Drouin, the regional director of Montreal’s public health department, said most of the 18 victims in the metropolis were men aged between 53 and 85 who lived in places with no air conditioning.