Paris mortuaries overwhelmed as France counts victims of devastating heatwave
Key takeaways
- France estimates that its death rate rose by at least 1,000 people during the devastating heatwave that swept the country last week – but that is at the cautious end of the estimate.
- By: FRANCE 24 A thermal blanket covers a window to help keep out the heat during a heatwave in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, west of Paris, on June 25, 2026.
- With all 32 places in his cold room taken, Zouhaeir Hertelli reluctantly has to gently say “Non,” over and over and over again.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
France estimates that its death rate rose by at least 1,000 people during the devastating heatwave that swept the country last week – but that is at the cautious end of the estimate. As authorities continue to tally the number of heat-related deaths, mortuaries in Paris and its immediate region report they are already full to the brink.
By: FRANCE 24 A thermal blanket covers a window to help keep out the heat during a heatwave in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, west of Paris, on June 25, 2026. © Michel Euler, AP Every few minutes, the mortuary owner’s phone rings. Since a record-smashing heat wave started taking lives and storage space for bodies in Paris and beyond, the funeral directors and mourning families calling him mostly have the same question: Do you have room for one more?
With all 32 places in his cold room taken, Zouhaeir Hertelli reluctantly has to gently say “Non,” over and over and over again.