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Summer death toll reaches 309

With 86 more deaths reported in the past 24 hours, the nationwide toll due to heatwave this summer has gone up to 309.

Thirty-five people died in Orissa while Rajasthan accounted for 35 deaths overnight.

A report from Bhubaneshwar said Samabalpur district alone accounted for 42 deaths. It has been experiencing intense heatwave with the mercury at a record 48 degree celsius.

Sunstroke deaths were also reported from Jharsugura (7), Baragarh (5), Boud (2) and one each from Berhampur, Angul, Bhawanipatna and Bolangir.

In Rajasthan, the death toll in the fortnight-long heatwave has gone upto 143, with 35 deaths reported today.

The mercury soared to touch the 50 degree celsius mark in the desert state, where heat-related deaths were reported from the districts of Alwar, Jaipur, Kota and other places.

In Andhra Pradesh, 12 people died in Machlipatnam district. Several parts of the state continued to reel under severe heatwave for the sixth consecutive day. The day's highest temperature in the state was recorded from Hanakona, Kothagundam, Machlipatnam and Vijayawada, a report from Hyderabad said.

In Tamil Nadu, the heatwave conditions prevailing for the last one week claimed its third victim with a 35-year-old traffic constable succumbing to sunstroke in Madras's Washermanpet.

The constable, Mohandas, was on duty. He died on the way to the hospital. The mercury was at 42.8 degree celsius.

Earlier, two persons had died in Cuddalore, 160 kilometres away.

The heatwave conditions in the state are expected to continue for some more days, according to the meteorological centre, Madras.

The hottest day in the city was 88 years ago, on May 21, 1910, when Madras recorded 45 degree celsius. It was 46.6 degree celsius at Meenambakkam on May 24, 1980.

UNI

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Rajasthan records 35 more deaths

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