JOIN USThough there has been a splash of rain in Kolkata and adjoining suburbs, dousing the temperature to a considerable degree, but the death toll apparently due to the heat rose to 70 with 40 more people succumbing on Wednesday in Kolkata and neighbouring districts, police said.
“Twelve potato cultivator have succumbed to death on the field, seven persons have died in Burdwan’s Asansol, five in West Midnpaore, two each in Kolkata and Howrah district due to heat wave,” an officer manning the police control said.
“We can access the deaths which are happening on the streets or in some cases in hospitals but it is impossible to give the exact figures all over the state because many people, unable to bear the excessive heat, are dying at home. Naturally, the figures given by us can be an indicator but it will not be the exact figure,” a senior police officer said.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has expressed concern over the heat wave toll and
instructed the district administrations to take precautionary steps.
“The chief minister has expressed deep concern over the rising number of deaths due to the heat and has asked the health department to issue necessary orders to the district administrations to take necessary steps,” Minister of State for Health Chandrima Bhattacharya said.