Massive heatwave kills more than 700 in India
A man finds a novel way to cool off at a railway station in Jammu. Pic: AP.
More than 700 people are reported to have died in a heatwave that has swept across India in the past week.
The southeast of the country has been hardest hit, with authorities in Andhra Pradesh reporting more than 550 heat-related deaths in the past four to five days.
India recorded its highest maximum temperature of 47 degrees Celsius – 117 degrees Fahrenheit – at Angul in Odisha on Monday, CNN reported.
However, other sources said that day temperatures in Telangana’s Khammam district soared to more than 48 degrees Celsius (118 Fahrenheit) on Saturday.
Officials say they expect the death toll to rise in the coming days.
“The majority of the victims are people who have been exposed to the sun directly, usually aged 50 and above and from the working classes,” P Tulsi Rani, special commissioner of Andhra Pradesh’s disaster management department, told AFP.
“We are asking them to take precautions like using an umbrella, using a cap, taking a huge quantity of liquids like water and buttermilk, and wearing cotton clothing.”
Poorer people have been hardest hit by the heatwave, with many of the victims believed to be beggars and homeless, while those working in direct sunlight are also at risk.
Temperatures are not expected to drop until later this week, with some meteorologists predicting they will rise again before the monsoon rains hit. The rains should provide some relief to southern areas next week, but will take a few more weeks to make their way to northern India.
Health authorities have asked people not to go outside at midday to avoid getting sunstroke due to high temperatures and blistering winds.
