Â鶹ӰÊÓ

Skip to main content

Doctors advise people over 60 to stay indoors as India's northern state swelters in extreme heat

An elderly man splashes water on his face to cool himself on a hot summer afternoon in Lalitpur, Uttar Pradesh state, India, June 17, 2023. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh) An elderly man splashes water on his face to cool himself on a hot summer afternoon in Lalitpur, Uttar Pradesh state, India, June 17, 2023. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)
Share
LUCKNOW, India -

At least 34 people have died in the past two days as a large swath of the north Indian state Uttar Pradesh swelters under severe heat, officials said Saturday, prompting doctors to advise residents over 60 to stay indoors during the daytime.

The dead were all over 60 years old and had pre-existing health conditions that may have been exacerbated by the intense heat. The fatalities occurred in Ballia district, some 300 kilometres (200 miles) southeast of Lucknow, the state capital of Uttar Pradesh.

Twenty-three deaths were reported Thursday and another 11 died Friday, Ballia's Chief Medical Officer Jayant Kumar said.

"All the individuals were suffering from some ailments and their conditions worsened due to the extreme heat," Kumar told The Associated Press on Saturday. He said most of the deaths were because of heart attack, brain stroke and diarrhea.

Diwakar Singh, another medical officer, said these people were admitted to Ballia's main hospital in critical condition. "Elderly people are vulnerable to extreme heat too," he said.

India Meteorological Department data shows Ballia reported a maximum temperature of 42.2 C (108 F) on Friday, which is 4.7 C (8 F) above normal.

The scorching summer has sparked power outages across the state, leaving people with no running water, fans or air conditioners. Many have staged protests.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath assured the public that the government was taking all necessary measures to ensure an uninterrupted power supply in the state. He urged citizens to co-operate with the government and use electricity judiciously.

"Every village and every city should receive adequate power supply during this scorching heat. If any faults occur, they should be promptly addressed," he said Friday night in a statement.

The main summer months -- April, May and June -- are generally hot in most parts of India before monsoon rains bring cooler temperatures. But temperatures have become more intense in the past decade. During heat waves, the country usually also suffers severe water shortages, with tens of millions of its 1.4 billion people lacking running water.

A study by World Weather Attribution, an academic group that examines the source of extreme heat, found that a searing heat wave in April that struck parts of South Asia was made at least 30 times more likely by climate change.

In April, the heat caused 13 people to die at a government event in India's financial capital of Mumbai and prompted some states to close all schools for a week.

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

The British Columbia election campaign is set to officially start today, with Lt.-Gov. Janet Austin issuing the writ for the Oct. 19 vote.

A northern Ontario man is facing a $12,000 fine after illegally shooting a moose near the Batchawan River.

Unusual flippered feet are making their way into the Saint Lawrence River this weekend. Led by underwater explorer and filmmaker Nathalie Lasselin, volunteer divers are combing the riverbed near Beauharnois in Montérégie to remove hundreds of tires that have been polluting the aquatic environment for decades.

A sea lion swam free after a rescue team disentangled it near Vancouver Island earlier this week.

Local Spotlight

Cole Haas is more than just an avid fan of the F.W. Johnson Wildcats football team. He's a fixture on the sidelines, a source of encouragement, and a beloved member of the team.

Getting a photograph of a rainbow? Common. Getting a photo of a lightning strike? Rare. Getting a photo of both at the same time? Extremely rare, but it happened to a Manitoba photographer this week.

An anonymous business owner paid off the mortgage for a New Brunswick not-for-profit.

They say a dog is a man’s best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.

A growing group of brides and wedding photographers from across the province say they have been taken for tens of thousands of dollars by a Barrie, Ont. wedding photographer.

Paleontologists from the Royal B.C. Museum have uncovered "a trove of extraordinary fossils" high in the mountains of northern B.C., the museum announced Thursday.

The search for a missing ancient 28-year-old chocolate donkey ended with a tragic discovery Wednesday.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is celebrating an important milestone in the organization's history: 50 years since the first women joined the force.

It's been a whirlwind of joyful events for a northern Ontario couple who just welcomed a baby into their family and won the $70 million Lotto Max jackpot last month.