A severe heatwave in France has overwhelmed funeral services and mortuary storage facilities, with undertakers reporting they are unable to cope with a surge in deaths linked to extreme temperatures.
France's public health agency said there were at least 1,000 excess deaths between last Wednesday and Sunday, although officials warned the figure is not yet final and could rise further.
In Orly, near Paris, undertaker Zouhaier Hertelli said his funeral home has reached full capacity, with all 32 refrigerated storage spaces occupied.
"We're completely full," he said. "The rush really started on Wednesday, Thursday and the whole weekend, it was non-stop."
Hertelli said he received around 150 calls over a single weekend but had to turn down every request for storage because of a lack of space.
He added that requests were coming not only from families, but also from nursing homes, police stations and municipal authorities.
Funeral directors say the backlog is worsening as waiting times at crematoria increase, delaying burials and cremations across the country.
Hertelli warned that some families are now facing waits extending into early July, with appointments pushed back because of the volume of deaths.
He has requested permission from local authorities to use refrigerated trailers to expand storage capacity, as existing facilities remain under severe strain.
Health authorities have reported a rise in deaths in nursing homes and among elderly people living alone, who are particularly vulnerable during prolonged heatwaves.
Meteorologists at Météo-France said temperatures, while slightly lower than the record highs earlier in the week, are still hovering around 30°C in many regions and are expected to rise again.
A further increase in temperatures is forecast for next week, raising concerns among health officials.
Doctors and emergency services say the recent heatwave has left many vulnerable people weakened, increasing the risk of further fatalities if high temperatures return.
Dr Sébastien Chopin of SOS Médecins in Melun, south of Paris, said he feared a second spell of extreme heat could have serious consequences.
He and his colleagues reported signing eight death certificates at patients' homes over four days at the peak of the heatwave, four times as many as during the same period last year.
Authorities have urged people to check on elderly relatives and isolated neighbours as France continues to face prolonged periods of extreme heat.
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