At least 32 people have died of heat wave in three districts of southern Bengal in the past two days, officials said.
"Twenty-seven people died in areas near Asansol due to intense heatwave prevailing in the area. Thirty others, including 3 policemen, were admitted in hospital after they fell sick due to heatwave," Dr Nikhil Chandra Das, superintendent, Asansol sub-divisional hospital, said.
Five people died in Asansol on Monday with the temperature in mining and industrial areas running more than 43 degrees Celsius for the past couple of days, he said.
Three others -- Dulal Chandra, 45, Surajit Dey, 65, and Moli Hansda, 35, -- died of heatstroke in Hoogly district, health department officials said.
In Purulia district near Jharkhand, one person died of heat wave when returning to his village from Chharahh railway station, police said, adding that the temperature in the area reached 45.6 degree Celsius at the time.
An unknown person was found dead at an abandoned tea stall at Satighat on the outskirts of Bankura town. He is suspected to have died of the intense heat, they said.
Meanwhile, some areas of Purulia district are facing shortage of drinking water while civic authorities of Purulia, Raghunathpur and Jhalda towns have been supplying it once in a day instead of twice.
