Northern India: Dozens die in single district amid severe heatwave
Officials in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh are investigating the deaths of at least 68 people in the district of Ballia between Thursday and Sunday as temperatures soar in northern and eastern parts of the country.
The surge in deaths this months follows a warning from the country’s meteorological department about potential heat-related casualties.
Temperatures in northern and eastern India have reached 46 degrees Celsius (114.8 degrees Fahrenheit) this week, AFP reported. The country often experiences heatwaves during the summer months of May and June, and climate change has supercharged the odds of a record-breaking heatwave.
But local officials have been unable to agree on the cause behind the spike of deaths, as critics accuse the government of not doing enough to prevent the deaths.
A local health official acknowledged heat may have been a factor in the deaths of 25 people on June 16. “In this temperature, most number of patients are victims of heatstroke, and it won’t take long before people are affected by heatstroke,” Dr. Diwakar Singh said.
“Most of the patients were above 60 and had pre-existing ailments. These were exacerbated by the heat and they were brought to the hospital in serious condition. They died despite being given adequate treatment and medicines.”
But after he spoke to the media, Singh, Ballia district’s chief health official, was transferred overnight to another district in the province overnight, for “‘giving a careless statement on deaths caused by heatwave without having proper information,’” Indian Express reported.
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