As a record-breaking heat wave continues to claim lives in Paris and other parts of France, there is also a shortage of places to bury the deceased. According to The Associated Press, on June 29 local time, the high temperatures have overwhelmed funeral homes in Paris, putting countless families in difficult situations.
According to people in the funeral industry, including Zouhaeir Hertelli, the head of a funeral home, currently, funeral homes in Paris are quickly running out of space for storing bodies. The Paris City Hall has announced the establishment of two additional temporary storage facilities for bodies at municipal morgues, each capable of holding 20 bodies. Parisian hospitals have also provided an additional 50 storage locations.
However, Helteril said that after talking with other funeral home managers, he learned that they had to transport some bodies to Châtelet, which is 80 kilometers away from Paris, and other areas around the capital for storage. In order to make more space, he has applied to the relevant authorities to set up temporary refrigerated containers outside his funeral home near Paris-Orly Airport, but he is still waiting for approval.
According to reports, under current circumstances, Helterley’s phone rings almost every few minutes. The funeral home staff and the family of the deceased asked mostly the same question: “Is there any other place where another body can be placed?”
"Relatives are enduring pain," Herodotus said: "We are powerless, because the funeral home is completely full. We understand their suffering deeply, and we feel it too, but we are really powerless to do anything about it. We certainly face a difficult problem, a large problem."
June 27, 2026, Paris, France. A woman is enjoying the cool breeze near a public fountain in the Trocadéro Square. IC Photo
In recent days, many European countries have been hit by heatwaves, entering a “scorching mode”. Meteorologists warn that temperatures in several European countries are likely to set new historical records for the same period.
According to a comprehensive report by AFP and Reuters on June 28 local time, during three days when temperatures reached their peak, there were approximately 1,000 additional deaths across France. Most of these deaths were related to high temperatures. French public health authorities warn that as more information about deaths in nursing homes and private residences is made public, the number of deaths is expected to increase further.
Excess death figures refer to the difference between the actual number of deaths in a particular region or during a specific period and the expected number of deaths in the absence of special factors such as public health crises.
A statement released by the French Public Health Agency stated that both monthly records and historical records have been broken continuously. Tuesday, June 23rd, became the hottest day on record in France since meteorological records began, surpassing the historical high set in 2003. On June 24th, the number of deaths across France due to various reasons exceeded 1200, with over 1400 deaths on June 25th and June 26th respectively. In April and May this year, the number of deaths per day ranged from 900 to 1000.
According to estimates by the French Public Health Agency, there were approximately 1,000 additional deaths nationwide during those three days. The French Public Health Agency also emphasized that the current death statistics are not complete, and the actual number of deaths may be higher.
