The sun stroke death toll shot up to 15 in Odisha with the Special Relief Commissioner's office having received three more confirmed death cases related to the ongoing heat wave condition.
However, there had been reduced temperature in the State in the last two days bringing some relief to the people who were experiencing grueling heat wave conditions for over a fortnight. As the latest, two people died in Keonjhar district while another succumbed to heat in Balangir district, the SRC office said.
According to the SRC office, though it is alleged that sun stroke casualty in the State had risen to 52, yet only 15 deaths had been confirmed. The death figures came from 19 of the 30 districts. The deaths were confirmed on the basis of reports received from the district Collectors, the SRC office informed.
Of the alleged death cases, highest six were from Balangir followed by five each from Dhenkanal and Angul, four in Jagatsinghpur and three each in Sambalpur, Puri, Mayurbhanj, Konjhar, Bhadrakh and Khorda . The confirmed deaths were reported from 11 districts of which highest three deaths occurred in Mayurbhanj, followed by two each from Keonjhar and Balangir.
The Met office sources said that some areas of the State continued to reel under heat wave conditions despite fall in temperature in many places with rain and thundershowers. On Wednesday, Sonepur recorded the highest maximum temperature of 41.8 degrees Celsius in the State.
The Met office predicted rains in next four days with thunder shower in some places of the State. There may be more rains after May 14, it said.