Heatwave kills 170 in India
2005-06-19 13:44
Bhubhaneshwar, India - The death toll from a heat wave sweeping much of India neared 170 on Sunday, as the meteorological office reported that annual monsoon rains are moving slowly toward the parched regions.
The death toll since the heat wave began in early June rose to 167, with 39 and 36 people succumbing to the sizzling heat in the plains of northern Uttar Pradesh and eastern West Bengal state, along with six in Bihar.
Officials said another 11 people died in western Maharashtra and southern Andhra Pradesh states.
Revenue Minister Manmohan Samal said 75 people had died in the eastern state of Orissa.
On Saturday temperatures in many parts of the country, particularly Orissa and West Bengal, exceeded 50° Celsius.
The weather office confirmed "a severe heatwave condition" in many parts of Orissa, neighbouring Jharkhand, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh states.
"Heatwave conditions also prevailed over parts of (central) Madhya Pradesh, northwest Rajasthan and (central) Maharashtra," the weather office said in a report on its website.
The office said the rains had "further advanced" from southern India to reach central and eastern states at the weekend.
The rains, which drench the subcontinent from June to September and are key to the agriculture-dependent economy, normally progress steadily north from the southwestern state of Kerala - allowing farmers to sow summer crops.