Heatwave claims 74 lives in AP, Telangana

Severe heat wave conditions claimed at least 74 lives in Andhra Pradesh (AP) and Telangana on Friday, while 3 deaths were reported from West Bengal. 

 Uttar Pradesh continued to reel under the grip of a severe heat wave with the mercury soaring around 45 degree Celsius at some places.

Normal life in almost all districts of AP and Telangana was disrupted as extremely high temperatures, 45 to 46 degrees Celsius, coupled with hot winds made life a veritable hell as the old and homeless bore the brunt. The prevailing weather condition is expected to last for another week, according to the Met department.Meanwhile, the AP cabinet discussed ways to mitigate the impact of the heat wave conditions in the state that claimed 35 lives on Friday. 

Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has directed the health department to create awareness among the general public on ways to avoid heat stroke. While 11 people died in Prakasam district, 6 died in Nellore, 7 in Krishna, 3 each in Guntur and Kurnool, 4 in Srikakulam, 2 in Vizianagaram and 1 in Anantapur due to sunstroke.

 At least 200 people were admitted to different government hospitals in the state.In Telangana, heat wave conditions has disrupted normal life in Hyderabad, Nalgonda, Nizamabad, Karimnagar and Warangal. In Telangana, at least 39 people lost their lives due to the heat wave. All major arterial roads in Hyderabad wore a deserted look.

With no respite from the high temperature, three people died in West Bengal, including one in Kolkata. 

While the weather has been discomforting for the last few days, a heat wave condition washed through much of the state as the mercury hovered above 40 degrees Celsius. At Barrackpore in North 24 Parganas, Sheikh Siraj, an undertrial, died inside the court lockup when he was presented for a bail hearing. 

Though Siraj was granted bail, he fell ill and was declared dead when admitted to the police hospital. Senior police officials said that he had complained of uneasiness soon after he was produced at court and was awaiting his turn for the hearing. 

“He had asked for water a number of times and was supplied with water but he fell down unconscious and was taken to the hospital, where he was declared dead,” a senior police official said.

Moinuddin Ali, an employee with the Kolkata Municipal Corporations Borough XV office died while on duty. When he fell ill and was taken to a nearby state-run hospital, doctors declared him dead on arrival. Physicians said that Ali died of a cardiac arrest owing to heat and high humidity. 

In Uttar Pradesh, Allahabad recorded 45.3 degree Celsius. Temperature also rose significantly in Meerut and Bareilly divisions. The mercury hovered around 43 degrees Celsius at many places, including the state capital Lucknow. The Met office said that the temperature was likely to rise in the coming days.