Heatwave Claims Lives Across India Amid Elections

Several people have died from heat-related illnesses as temperatures rise in northern and central India.

According to authorities, ten deaths were reported at a government hospital in Odisha’s Rourkela region on Thursday. Deaths due to heat stroke have also occurred in Bihar, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, and Delhi.

The extreme heat coincides with India’s general election, with results expected on June 4.

Authorities also told the Times of India that three election officers and a policeman died from heat stroke in the city on Thursday.

It was the hottest day, and despite having medical facilities at all centres, they collapsed. One home guard [volunteer policeman] became unconscious where he was staying, Kumar said, adding that the man later died in the hospital.

He also mentioned that around 30-40 people were admitted to the same hospital on Thursday due to heat-related issues.

Hospitals in the region have seen an increase in heat-related admissions. On Thursday, a labourer with heat stroke died while being treated at a hospital in Delhi.

India’s National Centre for Disease Control described heat strokes as a “life-threatening” condition with a mortality rate of 40 to 64%.

For the past two weeks, northern, central, and parts of western India have experienced continuous high temperatures, with maximums around 45-46°C, reaching up to 50°C in some areas.

While heatwaves have been a regular occurrence in India’s summers, experts say they are becoming longer, more intense, and more frequent.

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