PHOENIX (AP) — Officials in Arizona's largest county are investigating 53 suspected heat deaths during a weeklong hot spell earlier this month.
Recently released Maricopa County data shows 53 deaths occurred during the week of June 12-19, which coincided with the heat wave that pushed temperatures up to 118.
Those 53 deaths have been added to another 20 earlier this year that are suspected of being heat related for a total of 73 under investigation.
So far this year, just three deaths in the county of 4.6 million people have been confirmed as heat related.
There were 323 last year.
