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Extreme heat wave kills at least 20 people in India

Abnormal heat, exceeding 50 degrees Celsius in some regions, has persisted in some Indian states for several consecutive days

NEW DELHI, May 31. /TASS/. Extreme heat has caused the deaths of at least 20 people in India over the past day, the India TV Hindi channel has reported.

The state of Odisha has seen the highest number of casualties over the past 24 hours. Ten people were killed there. According to a doctor from the local state hospital, eight of them died before reaching the hospital.

The heat wave has resulted in the death of four people in the neighboring state of Jharkhand. Three of them died in the hospital. The doctors consider overheating to be the cause of the deaths.

The authorities have reported five casualties in the western state of Rajasthan. "Five people have already died due to the abnormal heat wave in the state," the country’s top public health official Ravi Prakash Mathur has told reporters. However, he said people often die during heat waves due to existing health conditions and other reasons. According to the established protocol, these cannot be considered as deaths due to heat stroke.

The capital authorities reported one death due to the heat on Thursday, a 40-year-old man.

Abnormal heat, exceeding 50 degrees Celsius (122 Fahrenheit) in some regions, has persisted in some Indian states for several consecutive days. According to local meteorologists, this May is one of the warmest on record.