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1,222 died in Belgium heat wave, deaths 39% above normal
In Belgium, 1,222 excess deaths were recorded during the June 18-29 heat wave; the death rate was 39% above normal levels.
During the heat wave in Belgium from June 18 to 29, 1,222 excess deaths occurred. According to preliminary data from the Belgian Risk Management Group (RMG), the daily death count reached its highest level since the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Of the deaths, 530 were people aged 85 and over, while 180 excess deaths were recorded in the under-65 age group. During the heat wave, temperatures exceeded 30 degrees Celsius for 7 consecutive days, and nighttime temperatures also remained above seasonal norms.
The total death count was 39% above normal levels. Vulnerable groups, especially the elderly and those with chronic illnesses, were severely affected by the extreme heat.
Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke responded to criticism of the government's response to the heat wave. The minister said that hospitals and care homes had prepared in advance and that protecting vulnerable people is a "shared responsibility of society". Vandenbroucke acknowledged that the emergency hotline 112 had "not worked as it should", and said he had asked Interior Minister Bernard Quintin to take stronger measures.
The health minister announced he would order a comprehensive evaluation of the public response to the heat wave and asked the RMG to prepare recommendations to strengthen the country's preparedness for the next heat wave.
Meanwhile, Paul Magnette, leader of the opposition Francophone Socialist Party, criticized the government, saying: "In the latest heat wave, 1,222 people lost their lives. The death rate was 39% above normal levels, but the federal government took no measures." Magnette claimed the government had not acted sufficiently against the climate and public health crisis.
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