JABAR EKSPRES – At least 98 people have died in India’s Uttar Pradesh and Bihar states in the last three days due to extreme heat, according to authorities.
As parts of India witnessed a severe heat wave in recent days with temperatures crossing 40 degrees Celsius in many places, 54 people died in northern Uttar Pradesh and 44 in eastern Bihar.
All 54 people who died in Uttar Pradesh were reportedly from one district Ballia, where at least 400 people were taken to the district hospital for treatment.
Medical Superintendent SK Yadav, confirming the death toll, said a team from Uttar Pradesh’s state capital Lucknow will arrive to investigate the matter.
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“They will see if another disease caused the death. Most of the patients had comorbidities like hypertension and diabetes,” Yadav told Anadolu.
Ballia district recorded a maximum temperature of 43 degrees Celsius on Saturday. Meanwhile 44 other people died in the eastern state of Bihar due to hot weather conditions.
Of the 44 who died, 35 died in Patna city, according to India Today media. Nine people died from other districts in the same state.
Patna, the capital of Bihar, recorded a maximum temperature of 44.7 degrees Celsius on Friday. Temperatures in 11 other districts crossed 44 degrees Celsius.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicted a heat wave in many Indian states and issued an alert for Bihar. Many states have extended summer vacations due to the scorching heat.
Last year, a study published by the medical journal The Lancet said that heat-related deaths in India increased by 55% between 2000-2004 and 2017-2021.
