Death toll from severe heatwave in India surpasses 1,400
The death toll from a severe heatwave sweeping large swathes of India has now surpassed 1,400 people, officials say.
Bhambal Ram Meena, an official at the disaster management said on Thursday that a total of 1,020 deaths were reported from the southern state of Andhra Pradesh alone.
The official added that at least 340 people also died in heat-related incidents in neighboring Telangana State.
Meanwhile, local Indian media outlets have also reported 60 deaths in the eastern states of Orissa, West Bengal and a few in the capital New Delhi and its outskirts.
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The northern states of Rajasthan and Haryana are also reeling from the intense summer.
Doctors at government-run hospitals have been told not to go on leave and people have been urged to stay indoors during the noon hours across the worst affected areas.
Sources say many of the victims are believed to be construction workers, laborers and homeless people who were unable to find shelter from the hot weather.
Road surfaces have started melting as blistering temperatures continued to hover between 45 and 47 degrees Celsius in most of the affected regions. Day temperatures in some of the regions were recorded close to 48 degrees Celsius on the weekend.
The ongoing heatwave has killed wildlife, scorched crops and endangered anyone laboring outdoors.
Weather officials say the sweltering temperatures are likely to continue for some more days.
India’s Meteorological Department has sounded a red alert for several states.
The harsh weather conditions are expected to continue to worsen unless the monsoon rain finally arrives. The monsoon rains were expected to hit the southern coast of Kerala state by June 1.
JR/MKA/HMV
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