Bengal heat wave: Four more dead, toll reaches 52

Four more persons perished in the heat wave sweeping across several parts of West Bengal to take the toll to 52, even as light showers on Thursday morning brought some relief to the people.

Official sources said that in Burdwan district two persons died --  35-year-old Uttam Karmakar, a truck helper, and daily wage earner Dipu Khetrapal, 27.

Karmakar was taken ill while he was loading rice in a truck under a blazing sun at Memari on Wednesday and died soon after. Khretapal's body was found lying near the DVC canal, also at Memari, police said.

In Purulia town, 60-year-old Phani Mahato fell unconscious while walking on the road at noon and died on way to a hospital where the doctors said it was a sunstroke case.

Seven people had died of sunstroke in Purulia district in the past seven days, officials said. However, unofficial accounts put the figure at 17.

In North 24-Parganas district, a middle-aged person died at Hingalganj, Additional SP North 24-Parganas Mehboob Akhtar said.

In some districts in south Bengal, there were rains this morning for an average 30 minutes giving relief to people from the intense heat. Relief, however, was temporary as the sun soon started to blaze again.