Recently, a tragic incident occurred in Nikko City, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan, where an 88-year-old woman living alone was suspected of mistakenly setting her air conditioner to heating mode, causing the indoor temperature to rise dramatically, which resulted in heat stroke. Although her family rushed her to the hospital, she was unfortunately pronounced dead that evening, marking the first heat stroke death of the summer in the area.

According to reports from the Yomiuri Shimbun, the incident took place around 8 PM on the 5th of this month. Family members were unable to reach the elderly woman and went to her residence to check on her, only to find her collapsed inside. Despite emergency medical treatment, she was pronounced dead at the hospital, with heat stroke being the preliminary cause of death.

Investigators noted that the room's temperature was significantly high at the time of the incident, and the air conditioning system was displayed in heating mode. Family members recalled that the elderly woman may have intended to lower the temperature by turning on the air conditioner but mistakenly switched to heating mode, compounded by her unfamiliarity with appliance operations.

This event has sparked renewed interest in the home safety of elderly individuals. Experts recommend that family members and caregivers regularly check the living conditions and air conditioning settings of the elderly, and consider installing remote monitoring systems to ensure safety. Local authorities have also urged the public to pay more attention to the living conditions of older adults, especially during high-temperature seasons, advising regular visits and checks on their air conditioners to prevent similar tragedies from occurring.