8 dead, thousands hurt by severe heatwave in Japan

Two people died as a result of a brutal heatwave in Japan on Sunday, while six people died a day earlier, Kyodo News reports. High temperatures, climbing up to 38.8 degrees Celsius in some areas, left around 3,500 people suffering from heatstroke and exhaustion over the course of two days. The heatwave hit several prefectures and created an extra challenge for the nation as it seeks to recover from deadly flooding and mudslides that have ravaged Japan over the course of last week. Many victims of the heat are first responders and relief workers who were busy clearing the rubble. Now they are forced to take long and frequent breaks during the rescue work.