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Heatwave claims 68 lives in UP's Ballia; hospitals overwhelmed
As many as 68 people admitted to Uttar Pradesh's Ballia district hospital have reportedly died in four days amid a sweltering heatwave in the state.
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Published on Jun 20, 2023 06:25 pm IST
A villager mourns as he cremates his relative who died from heat-related illnesses, in Ballia, Uttar Pradesh, Monday, June 19. A scorching heat wave in two of India’s most populous states has overwhelmed hospitals, filled a morgue to capacity, and disrupted power supply, forcing staff to use books to cool patients, as officials investigate the number of deaths. “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,” Jitendra Kumar Yadav, a hearse driver in Deoria town, 110 kilometers (68 miles) from Ballia, told The Associated Press.(Rajesh Kumar Singh / AP)
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People crowd a hospital desk in Ballia district, UP. The largest hospital in Ballia district in Uttar Pradesh is unable to accommodate more patients. Officials said the morgue was full after 54 people, all of whom were elderly suffering from various health issues, who died during the heat wave. Some families were asked to take the bodies of their relatives home, reported AP.(AP)
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A woman wipes the head of her ailing brother to keep him cool from the heat wave by using a wet cloth at the district hospital in Ballia. While northern regions of India are known for sweltering heat during the summer months, temperatures have been consistently above normal, according to the Indian Meteorological Department. Adding to the heat stress are consistent power outages across the region, leaving people with no running water, fans, or air conditioners, said AP.(Rajesh Kumar Singh / AP)
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Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya today chaired a high-level meeting in the national capital to review the preparedness of public health services for heatwaves across the country. The minister said, “A team of experts from the Union Health Ministry, ICMR, IMD, and NDMA will visit the states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar to support them in public health response measures to address heat-related illnesses.” Mandaviya has also directed the ICMR to conduct research on how to minimize the effect of heat waves on health, with specific short, medium and long-term action plans, reported ANI. (Jitender Gupta / ANI)
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A woman carries an earthen pot used to store water, as she takes a ride on a motorcycle on a hot summer afternoon, in Lalitpur district, UP.(Rajesh Kumar Singh / AP)
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A cow takes shelter in the shade outside a shop along with people on a hot summer afternoon in Lalitpur district, UP. Authorities issued a warning to residents over 60 and others with ailments to stay indoors during the daytime. “We have been issuing heat wave warnings for the past few days,” said Atul Kumar Singh, a scientist with the India Meteorological Department. Despite the warnings, government officials did not ask people to brace for the heat until June 19, when the death toll began to increase, as reported by AP.(Rajesh Kumar Singh / AP)
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People seen by the Dhasaan river, where the water level has gone down in Ghuwara, Chhatarpur District, Madhya Pradesh, on June 18. Climate experts say that heat waves will continue and India needs to prepare better to deal with their consequences, reported AP.(Rajesh Kumar Singh / AP)
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