As the scorching heatwave continues to singe a large swath of Uttar Pradesh, deaths from heat are now being reported from Deoria and adjoining regions where 65 people have died in the last 48 hours, taking the toll to 119 in the last four days.
Earlier, 54 deaths were reported from Ballia, forcing the government officials to order a probe.
Among the new fatalities, 53 people died in Deoria, nine in Gorakhpur and three in Kushinagar.
“With temperatures consistently hovering between 42 to 43 degrees Celsius for the past 10 days, the heat has turned deadly, leading to a significant surge in fatalities,” a government official said.
Medical experts have issued a public advisory, urging residents to refrain from venturing outside during the scorching afternoon hours. The public has been advised to take precautions, including avoiding sunlight and refraining from outdoor activities between 12 pm and 4 pm. It is recommended to carry water, an umbrella, and seek shade if leaving the house becomes unavoidable.
Unfortunately, the warning has come too late for many.
According to reports, of the 53 deaths reported in Deoria medical college hospital, 35 were brought dead, while 18 patients died during treatment.
Reports from Gorakhpur say that nine people lost their lives, while three more died due to heatstroke in Kushinagar.
The surge in patients overwhelmed the facility, resulting in chaos and a shortage of beds. Some patients were treated on stretchers, while others had to lie on the floor due to the lack of space.
Jitendra, a hearse driver in Deoria, expressed the dire situation on the ground, saying, “So many people are dying from the heat that we are not getting a minute’s time to rest. On Sunday, I carried 26 dead bodies,” he said.
However, Transport Minister Dayashankar Singh, who is local MLA in Ballia, said that the majority of the people who died were elderly persons. “During summer the death rate is generally higher than normal. So, the death of such a large number of people in such a short span of time is not that alarming,” he said.
Meanwhile, the two-member probe team that has started an inquiry into the deaths in Ballia, visited the villages from where maximum deaths were reported.
Dr AK Singh, one of the senior officials investigating the deaths, said they could not immediately confirm if weather had played a part since other districts experiencing similar temperatures had not reported such deaths.
“Also, the fever was not as high as it should be in case of a heatstroke,” he told reporters.
The officials said they were also looking into other potential sources of infection, such as water contamination. It was not immediately clear whether all the victims were from one locality.
“Most of the patients were above 60 and had pre-existing ailments. These were exacerbated by the heat and they were brought to the hospital in serious condition. They died despite being given adequate treatment and medicines,” Dr Singh said.