Rabat, 25 July 2024 (dpa/MIA) – At least 21 people have died due to high temperatures in a Moroccan city, health authorities in the North African country said on Thursday.

The deaths were registered on Wednesday in the city of Beni Mellal, about 300 kilometres south of the capital Rabat, the kingdom's state news agency MAP reported, citing local health authorities.

The fatalities were mostly old people and sufferers of chronic diseases whose health conditions were aggravated by the extreme temperatures, the agency said.

They included 17 people who died in hospital and four others outside it, authorities said.

The city's health authorities have advised people to avoid exposure to the sun and seek medical help if necessary.

Morocco has experienced a heatwave this week. Temperatures soared to 48 degrees Celsius on Tuesday and Wednesday in some parts of the country, the meteorological authorities said.

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