A bus driver in Paris, France, collapsed due to extreme heat, causing the vehicle to crash into a roadside tree.

The incident occurred around 9:00 a.m. local time on June 25, as the No. 189 bus was passing near its final stop after completing its route.

Fortunately, there were no passengers on board the bus at the time.

Immediately following the accident, the driver was transported to a hospital, and the bus operating company stated that it is investigating the exact cause of the crash.

The labor union immediately pointed to the heat and air conditioning issues as the cause.

They claimed that the temperature inside the buses had become excessively high in recent days, reaching up to 46°C (115°F).

On some routes where air conditioning is not functioning, bus drivers are even considering going on strike.

France has been suffering from a heatwave with temperatures hovering around 40°C (104°F) recently.

Some regions have broken record high temperatures, exceeding 41°C (106°F), and Paris has also been experiencing a heatwave with temperatures consistently above 38°C (100°F).

The problem is that France has one of the lowest air conditioning penetration rates in Europe.

In France, there has been significant skepticism toward the widespread use of air conditioning, with concerns that expanding cooling systems would increase energy consumption and exacerbate urban heat emissions.

However, as heatwaves have become more frequent, public opinion is shifting toward the need to consider the installation of air conditioning.

Even within environmental circles that were previously negative toward the expansion of air conditioning, voices are emerging that cooling is necessary for public facilities such as schools, hospitals, and public transportation.

Beyond France, there are also moves in the United Kingdom to ease regulations on air conditioning.

European countries, which were able to spend summers without air conditioning due to their relatively cool climates before climate change, are changing their stance in the face of recurring heatwaves.

The UK Climate Change Committee has recommended that cooling systems may be necessary in hospitals and care facilities by 2035, and in schools by 2050.

The UK Conservative Party has also announced that it will ease building regulations to make it easier to install air conditioning in new homes.

Reported by Ahn Hye-min | Video by Na Hong-hee | Video Source: @berrahalAhmed93 | Graphics by Lee Jung-ju | Produced by SBS Digital News