Death toll climbs in India heat wave

The death toll in India continued to rise this weekend as an unusually strong heat wave swept across the northeastern states. 

Nearly 100 people died since Thursday in two of the most populous Indian states, Uttar Pradesh and eastern Bihar, according to multiple reports citing officials Sunday. In Uttar Pradesh, all the 54 reported deaths occurred in the Ballia district. The AP reported at least 42 deaths in eastern Bihar in the last two days.

India’s government issued several severe heat advisories on Sunday, as many states continue to grapple with sweltering heat and high humidity. On Saturday, temperatures reached 45.4-degrees C (113.72 degrees F) in the Indian state of Odisha, and temperatures hovered around 42 and 44 degrees C (107.6 and 111.2 degrees F) in other states.

In some states, temperatures were expected to continue through Tuesday.  The India Meteorological Department issued an alert saying heat wave conditions, according to the AP, would last until June 19 in part of Uttar Pradesh. 

A scientist with the IMD, Atul Kumar Singh, told the AP, “no relief is expected in the next 24 hours.”

Authorities have said most of the deaths in the Ballia District were patients ages 60 and above and those who had preexisting health conditions, the AP reported. Symptoms reportedly included high fever, vomiting, diarrhea, difficulty breathing and heart-related issues.

Officials have warned people ages 60 and above to stay inside. 

While many see a clear correlation between the high death toll and extreme heat, some officials have been hesitant to draw a linear causation from one to the other.

Former Ballia District Hospital Chief Medical Superintendent Diwakar Singh reportedly said Friday night that 34 people died from “heatstroke.” He was subsequently removed from his position, the Indian Express newspaper reported, for “giving a careless statement on deaths caused by heatwave without having proper information.”

Uttar Pradesh’s health minister, Brijesh Pathak, reportedly opened an investigation into the high number of deaths in Ballia.