As South Asia bakes under a blistering heat wave, life-or-death decisions arrive with the midday sun. Abideen Khan and his 10-year-old son need every penny of the $3.50 a day they can make molding mud into bricks at a kiln under the open sky in Jacobabad, a city in southern Pakistan. But as temperatures have soared as high as 126 degrees Fahrenheit, or 52 degrees Celsius, in recent days, they have been forced to stop by 1 p.m., cutting their earnings in half. “This isn’t heat,” said Mr. Khan, sweat dripping down his face and soaking through his worn clothes. “It’s a punishment, maybe from God.”

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Persons: Abideen Khan, ” Organizations: Asia bakes Locations: Asia, Jacobabad, Pakistan