Heat blamed for death of elderly man in Mrauk-U

By Admin 22 Apr 2023

DMG Newsroom
22 April 2023, Sittwe

An elderly person fainted and died amid high temperatures in Arakan State’s Mrauk-U Township on Saturday morning, according to family members.

U Saw Thar Tun, 60, a resident of Pureingone Village in Mrauk-U Township, went to Mrauk-U’s main market from his village by motorbike, and passed out as he dismounted the bike outside the market at around 9 a.m. 

“As soon as he stepped into the shade after getting off the bike, he went into shock and lost consciousness. People nearby helped fan him. But he did not breathe,” family member Daw May Then told DMG.

His body was sent to Mrauk-U Hospital, where healthcare workers said heatstroke was likely the cause of death. Family members, however, did not want a post-mortem examination conducted, said Daw May Than, making an exact determination on the cause of U Saw Thar Tun’s death unknown.

“We didn’t want the body to be damaged by post-mortem. So, we sought permission from police and the doctors, and took his body back to the village,” she said.

Arakan State has reported record high temperatures in recent weeks, and temperatures are forecast to continue to rise, deputy director U Hla Tun of Department of Meteorology and Hydrology U Hla Tun told DMG.

Daytime highs in Mrauk-U, Kyauktaw, and Sittwe stood at 36º C, 38º C, and 36º C respectively on Saturday, according to the Department of Meteorology and Hydrology.

The elderly and obese, children, pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers and people with chronic health conditions are more vulnerable to extreme heat, said the Health Department.