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15 Deaths In Cook County Now Linked To Heat Wave

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Cook County officials said Tuesday that 15 deaths have now been tied to heat-related illnesses during the recent heat wave.

An 83-year-old man from South Holland, a 67-year-old man from the Hanson Park neighborhood and a man in his 60s from the West Rogers Park neighborhood are the latest Cook County residents whose deaths are at least partly attributable to heat, autopsies performed Tuesday have shown.

Marvin Hanko, 83, of 16634 Thornton Ave. in South Holland, was pronounced dead at 12:47 p.m. Monday at his home, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner's office. An autopsy on Tuesday found his death was due to heart disease, with diabetes, emphysema and heat stress as contributing factors.

Jerome Pinkos, 67, of 2137 N. Latrobe Ave., was pronounced dead Monday after being found dead in his home, according to the medical examiner's office. An autopsy on Tuesday found that his death was due to heart disease and heat stress.

Michael Kischuk, who was in his 60s, was found dead in his home at 7010 N. Ashland Ave. on Monday, according to the medical examiner's office. An autopsy on Tuesday found that Kischuk, who was pronounced dead at Advoacte Illinois Masonic Medical Center on Monday, died of heart disease, with heat stress a contributing factor.

The three men are the 13th, 14th and 15th Cook County residents whose deaths have been attributed to heat-related causes during the recent heat wave.

A Near Northwest Side man, William Blackledge, 70, was also thought to have died of heat-related causes, the medical examiner's office said Tuesday morning. But the cause of his death will not be known until at least Wednesday because the body had not arrived at the Stein Institute in time for a Tuesday autopsy.

Blackledge, of 1165 N. Milwaukee Ave., was pronounced dead at Saints Mary and Elizabeth Medical Center at 9:27 p.m. Monday.

(The Sun-Times Media Wire contributed to this report.)

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