Late-June heatwave causes estimated 5,764 excess all-cause deaths in France

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠France recorded an estimated 5,764 excess all-cause deaths during the heatwave from June 17 to July 2, French daily Le Figaro reported on Wednesday, citing the country's public health agency Sante publique France. The preliminary estimate covers the 92 departments affected by the heatwave and represents an excess mortality rate of 36 percent, the agency said, adding that about half of the excess deaths occurred over the three-day period from June 25 to 27. According to the agency, the excess mortality recorded during the heatwave was the highest in France since 2003. The June heatwave followed a shorter and less intense episode from May 24 to 28, during which around 300 excess all-cause deaths were recorded, according to Le Figaro. France then experienced a third spell of high temperatures in mid-July. For comparison, the public health agency recorded 5,700 heat-related deaths during the whole of summer 2025.

International media on Saturday and Sunday visited the core disaster area of mudslide-hit Gyirong Port on the China-Nepal border in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region.

The reporters from the United States, the United Kingdom, Russia, India, Pakistan, Singapore, Brazil among other countries and regions visited the area and learned about the disaster situation, ongoing rescue operations, and progress in recovery and reconstruction.

"China has this particular the capacity to address this kind of crisis. You have thousands of workers trained for this and you have machines made for this kind of efforts. And of course, our heart goes to them for the kind of work they are putting," said KJM Varma Mokanda, a reporter from Press Trust of India.

The mudslide, triggered by a high-altitude glacier collapse in Nepal on Aug 26, had left 43 people dead and 519 others missing at the border port as of 18:00 Saturday, the emergency response and rescue headquarters told a press conference on Sunday.

As of 18:00 Saturday, more than 2,500 people and over 500 vehicles had been deployed for the rescue, and more than 1,000 flights of drones had air-dropped 5.43 tons of supplies, officials said at the press conference.