[PHOTO NEWS] Ice blocks placed at public places to fight heat wave

By Park Sae-jin Posted : July 31, 2018, 17:23 Updated : July 31, 2018, 17:23

A citizen stands barefoot on an ice block at a bus stop in the coastal city of Gangneung. [Yonhap Photo]


SEOUL -- In an effort to ease the agony of citizens enduring a protracted deadly heat wave, the eastern port city of Gangneung placed ice blocks at public places such as bus stops, traditional markets and train stations.

In a statement on Tuesday, officials in Gangneung, some 170 kilometers (105 miles) east of Seoul, hoped that the deployment of ice blocks weighing about 250 kilograms (551 pounds) each would help prevent illnesses triggered by the extreme heat.

Since the summer season began, the scorching heat, which was attributed to the wall of high atmospheric pressure in the Northern Pacific, has left hundreds of fever cases and killed at least 17 people, compared to five deaths last year. In southern areas, the temperature has exceeded 40 C degrees. Weathermen predicted the scorching heat would last throughout August.

 
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