At least 159 people have died of suspected heatstroke across the state. However, the state government has confirmed that only 41 deaths were related to sunstrokes. The other deaths are under investigation.
The Special Relief Commissioner (SRC), in a press release, said: “This summer, consecutively 159 alleged sunstroke death cases have been reported. As per the detailed inquiry, 41 deaths were due to sunstroke and 45 cases were rejected, not due to sunstroke. 73 cases are under inquiry at the district level.”
The SRC added: “Eight alleged sunstroke cases have been reported in the last 72 hours.”
Amid the rise of sunstroke deaths, the Odisha government has asked people not to leave their houses after 11am. It asked different organisations not to engage people in outdoor work between 11am to 3pm.
The director of public health, Nilakantha Mishra, said: “As many as 2,269 people who suffered from heat-related sickness were discharged from hospital after treatment.”
Meanwhile, the local Met office has predicted that the heatwaves in the state will continue for some more days and sounded a yellow warning until June 14. The maximum temperature is likely to rise to 45 degrees Celsius in the next couple of days. Nuapada in western Odisha recorded the highest temperature of 44 degrees Celsius today.
