Severe heat in India, nearly 100 people died

People take a break from the sun under the shade of a bridge in New Delhi, India. Photo: THX/TTXVN

Most of the deaths were people over 60 and had underlying health conditions, officials said. The severe heat may have exacerbated the illness. Ballia district, 300 km southeast of Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh, has recorded all 54 heat-related deaths in the state. Hospitals there have received more than 300 patients with heat-related illnesses in the past three days.

Due to the severity of the situation, local authorities have asked medical staff not to take leave and have provided additional beds in the emergency room to accommodate the growing number of patients. Most of the hospitalized cases are people over 60 years old, with symptoms such as high fever, vomiting, diarrhea, difficulty breathing and cardiovascular problems.

Ballia district, along with the central and eastern regions of Uttar Pradesh, is currently experiencing severe heatwave conditions. On June 18, the maximum temperature recorded here reached 43 degrees Celsius, 5 degrees Celsius higher than normal. Meanwhile, the humidity was 25%, making the atmosphere even more stifling.

According to Atul Kumar Singh, a scientist at the India Meteorological Department (IMD), temperatures across Uttar Pradesh are higher than normal. The IMD has warned that the heatwave in the state will continue until June 19.

In Bihar, eastern India, a scorching heat wave has gripped parts of the state, killing 42 people in the past two days. Of the deaths, 35 were reported at two hospitals in Patna, the state capital, which is treating more than 200 patients suffering from diarrhea and vomiting. Patna recorded a temperature of 44.7 degrees Celsius on June 17. The Bihar government has advised people over 60 and those with underlying health conditions to stay indoors during the day.

April, May and June are the three hottest months of the summer in India. But over the past decade, the heat has become more intense. During heat waves, the South Asian country often experiences severe water shortages, with tens of millions of its more than 1.4 billion people lacking access to clean water.

In April, heatwaves killed 13 people after attending an event in India's financial capital Mumbai and forced several states to close all schools for a week.

Source: https://dttg.baotainguyenmoitruong.vn/nang-nong-khac-nghiet-tai-an-do-gan-100-nguoi-tu-vong-359781.html