A total of 8,580 people were taken to hospital by ambulance with symptoms of heatstroke in the week through July 27 in Japan, 15 of whom died, the Fire and Disaster Management Agency said Tuesday.
Of all the people taken to hospital, about 45 percent were aged 65 or older, the agency said in a preliminary report. In Tokyo alone, 620 people were taken to hospital last week after collapsing or showing what appeared to be heatstroke-related symptoms.
The mercury reached above 35 degrees Celsius in some areas on Saturday, when at least six people died. The Japan Meteorological Agency urged people to drink water frequently as a precaution against heatstroke.