PARIS — Funeral homes across France are struggling to cope with a sharp rise in deaths linked to the country’s severe heatwave, as officials report at least 1,000 excess deaths over just five days and warn the final toll is expected to increase.
The surge in fatalities has placed unprecedented pressure on mortuaries, crematoriums and funeral services, particularly in the Paris region, where available refrigerated storage for bodies has rapidly reached capacity.
Funeral homes run out of space
At a funeral home in Orly, south of Paris, undertaker Zouhaier Hertelli said his facility’s refrigerated mortuary, which can accommodate 32 bodies, is completely full.
According to Hertelli, demand surged dramatically from the middle of last week as soaring temperatures swept across much of France.
“The rush really started on Wednesday and continued through the weekend without stopping,” he said.
He revealed that he received around 150 requests over the weekend alone but was forced to turn them all away because there was simply no space left to store additional bodies.
Families, nursing homes, police authorities, municipalities and fellow funeral directors have all contacted his business seeking emergency assistance.
Families facing heartbreaking delays
Hertelli described the situation as one of growing desperation, saying many grieving families are struggling to find funeral homes capable of receiving their loved ones.
He warned that delays in burials and cremations are forcing bodies to remain in refrigerated storage for longer than usual.
To ease the crisis, Hertelli has requested permission from local authorities to use a refrigerated trailer as temporary mortuary space.
He noted that appointments at many crematoriums have already been pushed back until around July 10, reflecting the unusually high number of deaths.
Heatwave linked to excess deaths
France’s public health agency said preliminary data indicate at least 1,000 excess deaths occurred between Wednesday and Sunday during the height of the heatwave.
Health officials stressed that the figure remains provisional and is expected to rise as additional mortality data become available.
Although temperatures have eased slightly in some areas, much of France continues to experience daytime temperatures near 30 degrees Celsius, with meteorologists forecasting another spell of hotter weather in the coming days.
The national weather service has warned that elevated temperatures are likely to persist into next week.
Elderly residents most affected
Health authorities say many of the deaths have involved elderly people living in nursing homes as well as older residents living alone.
Officials have urged the public to regularly check on elderly relatives, neighbours and other vulnerable individuals, particularly those without access to adequate cooling.
Medical professionals say prolonged exposure to extreme heat significantly increases the risk of dehydration, heatstroke and worsening underlying health conditions.
Doctors report sharp increase in deaths
Dr. Sebastien Chopin, who works with the emergency medical service SOS Médecins in Melun, south of Paris, said healthcare workers witnessed a dramatic rise in deaths during the hottest days of the heatwave.
He said his medical team signed eight death certificates for people who died at home over a four-day period—four times the number recorded during the same period last year.
Chopin warned that another period of intense heat could have an even greater impact on vulnerable people whose health has already been weakened by recent extreme temperatures.
French authorities continue to monitor the situation closely as emergency services, healthcare providers and funeral operators brace for further pressure if the heatwave intensifies again in the coming days.
French Funeral Homes Overwhelmed as Heatwave Death Toll Continues to Climb
