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29 Die as Heat Wave, Storms Hit Brisbane

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From Times Wire Reports

Twenty-nine people died when a record heat wave and severe storms hit Australia’s third most populous city, triggering a medical emergency and power cuts, officials said.

Thousands of people called for help from paramedics in and around Brisbane when the temperature soared to 107 degrees Sunday -- the city’s hottest February day ever. Compounding the problem, storms had knocked out power to hundreds of houses around the city. Trains ran at half speed for fear the high temperatures could buckle tracks and cause a derailment.

Police reported 29 sudden deaths from Friday afternoon to Sunday night. The previous weekend, there were seven such deaths in the city of 900,000.

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