Officials: Heat partly to blame in 10 deaths

Cook County authorities investigating to see if 6 others died from heat-related stress

By Dawn Rhodes, Carlos Sadovi and Jennifer Delgado, Chicago Tribune reporters

July 8, 2012
Cool air gushed into the Chicago area Saturday evening, but not before several days of suffocating temperatures claimed the lives of 10 people who fell victim to heat stroke or heat stress, Cook County officials said.

The three consecutive days of triple-digit temperatures that began Wednesday struck hardest in parts of the Chicago area where residents lacked air conditioning or were stuck in small apartments with limited ventilation.

The 10 people who died from a combination of the heat and underlying ailments ranged in age from an unidentified man in his 30s to a 91-year-old woman, the Cook County medical examiner’s office said. The county was also investigating whether six more deaths were related to the heat.

Officials: Heat partly to blame in 10 deaths