India’s sweltering heatwave has killed nearly 100 people in two of its most populous states.

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By Associated Press

June 18, 2023 | 1:14 p.m

At least 96 people have died in two of India’s most populous states over the past several days, officials said Sunday. Reeling from a sweltering heat wave.

The deaths occurred in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh and eastern Bihar, where authorities have warned residents over the age of 60 and others suffering from various diseases to stay indoors during the day.

All 54 deaths in Uttar Pradesh were reported in Palia district, about 300 kilometers (200 miles) southeast of Lucknow, the state capital. The authorities discovered that most of those who passed away were over 60 years of age and had preexisting health conditions, which may have been exacerbated by the extreme heat.

In the past three days, about 300 patients have been admitted to the district hospital due to various ailments aggravated by heat, said SK Yadav, the medical officer in Palia.

Given the seriousness of the situation, the authorities canceled leave requests for medical personnel in Balia and made additional hospital beds available in the emergency department to accommodate the influx of patients.

Officials said most of the patients admitted were 60 or older and were showing symptoms of high fever, vomiting, diarrhea, breathing difficulties and heart-related problems.

RS Pathak, a resident of Balea who lost his father on Saturday, said he witnessed an increased influx of patients in the hospital’s emergency department while under his father’s care.

“This has never happened in Balea. I have never seen people die of heat in such large numbers.” People are afraid to go out. The roads and markets are largely deserted.”

Palia, along with central and eastern Uttar Pradesh, is currently grappling with sweltering heat.

On Sunday, the region saw a maximum temperature of 43 degrees Celsius (109 degrees Fahrenheit), five degrees above normal.

Relative humidity was recorded at 25%, which increases the effect of heat.

Atul Kumar Singh, a scientist with the Indian Meteorological Department, or IMD, said temperatures across the state are higher than normal at the moment. “He does not expect any relief in the next 24 hours,” he added.

The International Institute for Human Development has issued an alert saying heat wave conditions will continue till June 19 in parts of Uttar Pradesh.

The state’s health minister, Brijesh Pathak, said they had opened an investigation as to why “so many people” died in Palea.

In eastern Bihar, scorching heat has gripped most parts of the state, killing 42 people in the past two days.

Of the deaths, 35 occurred in two hospitals in the state capital, Patna, where more than 200 patients suffering from diarrhea and vomiting are being treated.

Patna recorded a maximum temperature of 44.7 degrees Celsius (113 Fahrenheit) on Saturday.

The main summer months – April, May and June – are usually the hottest in most parts of India, before monsoon rains bring temperatures down.

but The temperatures became more intense in the past decade.

During heatwaves, the country typically experiences severe water shortages, with tens of millions of its 1.4 billion people lacking access to running water.

A study by World Weather Attribution, an academic group that researches the source of extreme heat, found that an extreme heat wave in April that hit parts of South Asia had occurred. 30 times at least by climate change.

In April, sweltering heat killed 13 people at a government event in India’s financial capital Mumbai and prompted some states to close all schools for a week.