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Heat wave kills, hospitalizes over 1,600 in Japan

TOKYO, June 3 (KUNA) -- A total of 1,637 people were taken to hospital by ambulance with symptoms of heatstroke in the week through June 1 in Japan, four of whom died, the Fire and Disaster Management Agency said Tuesday.
The figure was seven times higher than the 352 people marked in the previous seven days, the agency said in a preliminary report. Of all the people taken to hospital, more than 40 percent were aged 65 or older.
In Tokyo, 146 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 for the fourth consecutive day. The Japan Meteorological Agency thus urged people to drink water frequently as a precaution against heatstroke.(end) mk.wsa