Laborers and street vendors in Mali find no respite as deadly heat wave surges through West Africa

By BABA AHMED and CARLOS MUREITHI
Associated Press

BAMAKO, Mali (AP) — Street vendors in Mali’s capital of Bamako peddle water sachets, ubiquitous for this part of West Africa during the hottest months. This year, an unprecedented heat wave has led to a surge in deaths and experts warn of more scorching weather ahead as effects of climate change roil the continent. Temperatures in Bamako reached 44 degrees Celsius, about 111 Fahrenheit, on Thursday and forecasts predict more extreme weather. Bamako’s Gabriel-Touré Hospital reported 102 deaths in the first four days of the month, compared to 130 deaths in all of April last year. It’s unknown how many of the fatalities were due to the extreme weather as such data cannot be made public under the country’s military rulers.