With yet another heat wave under way, the region's heat-related death toll has climbed to nine.
Heat has been blamed for the deaths of five Philadelphians during the hot spell that ended on Tuesday - and we use the term "ended" with reservations - the city Health Department spokesman Jeff Moran said this afternoon.
The most recently reported deaths were those of an 80 year old woman in the Nicetown-Tioga section of the city, and a 78-year-old in Southwest Philadelphia. Both had background heart conditions. No other details were available.
As reported earlier, the body of a 70-year-old man was found in Mount Airy on July 1, and a 62-year-old, in the Northeast, and a 53-year-old Southwest Philadelphian, were found on Friday.
