Ruptly
"As record-breaking heatwaves hit the French capital, the Canal Saint-Martin near Quai de Valmy has turned into a makeshift swimming pool despite the strict ban and a real risk of fatal accidents. Footage filmed on Thursday shows dozens of young people, mostly teenagers, jumping into the water from the metal footbridges with a visible sign saying, 'Swimming prohibited. Danger of death' near the bridge and no lifesaving equipment in sight. Several police squads can also be seen arriving at the area, speaking to individuals to issue warnings and fines. Due to the health risk, swimming in the Canal Saint-Martin is strictly prohibited outside of supervised summer sessions. The canal is relatively shallow, and the riverbed may contain debris or metal objects, making jumps from the bridges particularly dangerous. In addition, the canal functions as an urban waterway, so the water quality is poor and could contain bacteria and viruses, which can cause serious infection. Meteo France has placed an orange alert for eight departments in western France, while twenty other departments in the western half of France and the Paris region were under yellow alert. In Paris, temperatures reached 35 degrees Celsius as the city remained under an orange heatwave alert, the 'be very vigilant' Level 3 on France's 4-tier weather warning system. During an orange alert, the heat is severe enough that even healthy individuals are at risk of heat-related illnesses. Seven people across France have suffered heat-related deaths this season, according to media reports, at the time of publication."
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