NEW DELHI — The searing heat wave sweeping many parts of India has claimed 2207 lives, with 202 more deaths being reported since yesterday from Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Odisha, making it the fifth deadliest in the world, according to reports.
Nagpur in Maharashtra recorded the highest temperature of 47.1 degrees celsius.
Andhra Pradesh reported 146 more deaths, raising the toll 1636 since yesterday. Prakasam district has recorded the maximum number of 333 deaths, followed by Guntur district (233), followed by East Godavari (192), Visakhapatnam (185), Vizianagaram (177), Nellore (163), Krishna (78), Chittoor (64), Srikakulam (60), Anantapur (56), Kadapa (38), Kurnool (34) and West Godavari (23).
According to the MeT department, heat wave conditions prevailed over some parts in the districts of Guntur and Kurnool of Rayalaseema. The highest maximum temperature of 47 deg Celsius was recorded at Jangamaheshwarapur.
Rain occurred at a few places over Rayalaseema and at isolated places over Coastal Andhra Pradesh.
TELANGANA WORST HIT
In Telangana, the toll due to the heat wave rose to 541 today, with 52 more deaths being reported during the last 24 hours, said a senior official of the state disaster management department. The toll in the state was 489 yesterday.
The toll in Odisha also rose to 21 from 17 since yesterday. Seven deaths have so far been reported from Gujarat and two from Delhi.
Since April 15, Nalgonda district in Telangana has recorded maximum number of 139 deaths, followed by Karimnagar (120), Khammam (95) and Mahabubnagar (42).
Heat wave has claimed 36 lives in Ranga Reddy district followed by 35 in Medak district, 26 in Adilabad, 20 in Warangal, 18 in Nizamabad, and 10 in Hyderabad.
The highest maximum temperature of 47 degree Celsius was recorded at Ramagundam yesterday. According to met department, isolated rain occurred over Telangana yesterday. In Odisha, the Special Relief Commissioner's (SRC) office received reports of 108 deaths allegedly due to sun stroke. However, only 21 have been confirmed as death due to heat stroke.
5TH DEADLIEST IN HISTORY
The Times of India reported that the heat wave this season is the fifth deadliest in the world and second in India after 1998 during which 2,541 people died.
Europe recorded the deadliest heat wave ever in 2003 in which 71,310 people lost their lives, reported TOI, quoting Emergency Events Database (EM-DAT) maintained by the Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED) in Belgium.
THE 10 DEADLIEST HEAT WAVES EVER
According to EM-DAT, these are the 10 deadliest heat waves in world history.
Europe, 2003: 71,310
Russia, 2010: 55,736
Europe, 2006: 3,418
India, 1998: 2,541
India, 2015: 1,826+
U.S. and Canada, 1936: 1,693
U.S., 1980: 1,260
India, 2003: 1,210
India, 2002: 1,030
Greece and Turkey, 1987: 1,030
(With inputs from PTI)
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