Heatwave toll crosses 2300, Telangana reports 585 deaths

New Delhi: Ninety more deaths were reported from Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Odisha due to the heat wave, raising the nationwide toll to 2,338 even as some places like Delhi got respite on Monday from the sweltering weather because of the overcast sky and scattered rainfall.

     

Delhi received light showers which brought temperature down to 37 degrees celsius from 40.6 degrees Celsius yesterday.

Meanwhile, Andhra Pradesh reported death of 42 more people due to the heat wave, raising the toll in the state to 1,719 from 1,677 yesterday.

     

In Telangana, the toll rose to 585 from 541, Special Commissioner, Disaster Management Sada Bharghavi said. She said the latest figure was of May 30 as "we are yet to receive reports for May 31 and today."

     

Asked if all these deaths were due to the heatwave, she said, "These are



preliminary reports which say these deaths occurred due to the summer. A three-member committee at district-level comprising tehsildar, civil surgeon and local (police) station house officer will find out the exact cause of deaths."

     

Following this, a certified report will be issued and ex-gratia will be given to the relatives only if heatwave is confirmed as the cause, she told PTI.

     

The sunstroke death toll in Odisha mounted on Monday to 25 from 21 even as the mercury level fell in all places with the highest temperature of the day being recorded at 40.2 degree Celsius in the state capital Bhubaneswar.

A report received from the Odisha's Special Relief Commissioner's (SRC) office said 25 have so far died of sunstroke even though the revenue department has received 131 cases allegedly due to heat related incidents in the state.