As extreme heat blankets the nation, heat-related presumed deaths have been reported for five consecutive days for the first time this summer.

The number of heat-related illness patients has exceeded 200 for three days in a row.

According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), a total of 208 people visited about 500 emergency rooms nationwide yesterday due to heat-related illnesses, among whom one person died.

The deceased was a man in his 70s residing in Gimje, Jeollabuk-do, who was found to have suffered from a heat-related illness by the roadside.

One additional death from a heat-related illness, which occurred when a patient visited an emergency room on July 29, was also confirmed belatedly.

This deceased individual was a man in his 70s living in Busanjin-gu, who was found to have suffered a heat-related illness at home.

This brings the total number of patients tracked by the heat-related illness surveillance system—operated by the KDCA since May 15 of this year—to 2,665 as of yesterday, with the cumulative death toll reaching 23.

(Photo: Yonhap News)