LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – The number of heat-related deaths in Clark County continues to rise, though the valley is finally seeing some relief from this year’s record-breaking heat.
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Earlier this month, the Clark County Coroner identified 123 deaths that involved heat, but that number has now shot up to 181. The county’s report included details on 146 deaths that the coroner was able to identify and notify next-of-kin.
Major causes for the listed deaths included environmental heat stress, methamphetamine toxicity or intoxication, and various types of cardiovascular disease.
The youngest death listed was a 23-year-old Black male who died of mixed-drug intoxication. The coroner says he died on July 11. The oldest death listed was a 94-year-old White man who died of diabetes on July 18.
Additionally, the most recent death was a Hispanic woman who died of cardiovascular disease on Sunday, Aug. 18.
The coroner’s office noted that 90% of cases received take up to 90 days to investigate, so this year’s final total of heat-related deaths could look drastically different.
The office also noted that certain drugs make more people susceptible to heat, especially drugs like fentanyl. Other factors that could impact people in the heat include previous health conditions or illnesses, physical exertion, and poor fluid intake, among others.
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