Elderly woman dies of heatstroke in Sceaux amid France's deadly heatwave

Louisette Rivalain, a 93‑year‑old former care assistant, died on 29 June from hyperthermia in her top‑floor studio apartment in an HLM building in Sceaux, Hauts‑de‑Seine. For nearly a year she had lived without shutters after energy‑renovation works removed them, and only a curtain was installed days before her death. Despite repeated alerts from relatives, the landlord did not reinstall shutters, and the municipal authorities, though offering phone calls, visits and cooling rooms, could not prevent the tragedy.

Her death occurs during an exceptional June heatwave that has caused over 2 000 excess deaths in France, with national mortality rising by about 30 %. Tenant associations describe the incident as a preventable tragedy and have criticised the lack of adequate protection for vulnerable residents.