"As a completely exceptional measure" inhumations will be permitted this Friday, August 15, Paris mayor Bertrand Delanoe said in a statement issued Wednesday.

No official figures were available for the number of heat-related deaths in the French capital, but doctors say there have been more than 50 since the 40-degree-Celsius (104-degree-Fahrenheit) heatwave began nearly two weeks ago.

Delanoe's statement said provisions had been made to facilitate funerals, including asking staff on vacation to return to cope with the emergency.

The 13 retirement homes run by the city have also been provided with extra fans and cooling systems for their 2,500 residents, and elderly residents who received help at home would be visited to ensure their well-being, it said.

August 15 is a holiday in many traditionally Catholic countries during which much activity ceases. It celebrates the day the Virgin Mary was said to have gone to heaven.

TERRA.WIRE