Death rate doubles in Moscow
Moscow's health chief has confirmed the mortality rate has doubled as a heat wave and wildfire smog continue to grip the Russian capital.
There were twice the usual number of bodies in the city's morgues, Andrei Seltsovsky told reporters.
"On normal days, between 360 and 380 die - now it's around 700," he said.
Figures were not being reported immediately for other parts of central Russia, which have had similar droughts and wildfires for more than a month.
Seltsovsky did not give a time frame but earlier reports spoke of death rates in Moscow rising between 30% and 50% in July, compared with the same period last year.
Moscow, he said, had 1,500 places in its morgues and 1,300 of these were currently occupied.
While stressing there was still capacity, he added that about 30% of bereaved people asked to have the body kept in a morgue for more than three days, "which slightly complicates the situation".
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