Heat Reported Killing People In India

Over 50 people have lost their lives in the last three days as the extreme heat continues to plague some parts of India.

The heat claimed the lives of about 33 individuals in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh over the weekend.

An official told ANI news agency that heat stroke claimed the lives of about twenty individuals in the state of Odisha (Orissa).

Many of these deaths were recorded on June 1, during India’s final round of voting for its general election.

Poll workers, security personnel, and sanitation employees were among those who lost their lives during the general election.

According to the federal health ministry, between March 1 and May 30, there were at least 56 documented cases of heat stroke deaths.

During that time, 24,849 cases of heatstroke were reported.

State-by-state data, however, indicates that the true figure may be significantly higher.

Twenty of the 99 probable heat stroke deaths in Odisha that district officials reported in the last 72 hours have been confirmed, according to a statement from the state’s Special Relief Commissioner.

The chief electoral officer of Uttar Pradesh, Navdeep Rinwa, informed reporters that the surviving relatives of poll workers would receive 1.5 million rupees ($18,000; £14,000) in compensation.

According to Mr Rinwa, a man who was waiting in queue to cast his ballot passed out from the heat.

“The voter was transported to a health facility, where he was pronounced dead upon arrival,” he said.

There have also been reports of possible heat-related fatalities from Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, and Bihar.

Heat strokes have a fatality rate of 40–64%, according to India’s National Centre for Disease Control, making them “life-threatening” conditions.

For the past two weeks, there has been no letup in the heat in northern, central, and western India, with maximum temperatures often staying between 45 and 46 degrees Celsius for days on end and occasionally reaching 50 degrees in certain places.

A surge in power use has resulted in serious shortages of both water and electricity in certain places.

Videos taken in Delhi’s capital show people squabbling over water from water tankers.

A Gentle Reminder: Every obstacle is a stepping stone, every morning; a chance to go again, and those little steps take you closer to your dream.

Nnamdi Okoli