South Korea's interior ministry announced 11 deaths and a surge in the number of patients with heat-related illnesses to 1,546 cases. Three women were reported dead on Saturday after losing consciousness amid the ongoing scorching heat across the country, according to Yonhap, bringing the total number of heat-related deaths to 11 between May 20 and Aug. 3. An intense heat wave has been gripping the nation since last week following the end of the rainy monsoon season, with temperatures hovering over 35 degrees Celsius in many parts of the country, even rising to close to 40 degrees Celsius. South Korea's weather agency has said that the current heat wave, accompanied by tropical nights, is expected to continue for at least another 10 days. Last week, the interior ministry issued its highest heat wave warning of "serious" and upgraded its response posture to Level 1, which is also the highest level. Source: Qatar News Agency