PESHAWAR, July 9: A heat wave played havoc in Peshawar and other parts of the province on Sunday, killing at least five people and affecting hundreds of others, hospital sources said.

Hospitals remained crowded with patients in the provincial capital and emergency was declared at the city’s Lady Reading Hospital and the Khyber Teaching Hospital to cope with the situation, a doctor told Dawn.

One person died of heatstroke in the emergency ward of the Khyber Teaching Hospital, and 100 patients were treated for gastroenteritis and heatstroke, a doctor said.

In Lakki Marwat, heat wave killed four people and dozens others got fainted who were rushed to hospitals and private health clinics.

In Peshawar, 150 patients were rushed to the Lady Reading Hospital who had got fainted due to sunstroke, said Dr Ihsan.

“We have declared emergency in the hospital because main wards have become overcrowded owing to sunstroke patients,” he said.

Met officials said humidity recorded at noon was 65 per cent, and temperature came down by a few degrees to 38 degree centigrade around mid-day.

Growing humidity and heat have made life miserable in the provincial capital and all roads and streets wore a deserted look. Traffic also remained thin in the city.

According to reports received from other districts of the province, heat wave continued to hit the people during the past week.

Thin traffic was seen on all main and inter-district roads during the day and people mainly remained indoors to escape the sizzling sun.

Almost all major hospitals in the province witnessed an increasing number of people affected by heat wave.