Dozens die in north India as heatwave rips through region

LUCKNOW, India, June 19 (Reuters) – At least 54 people have been killed in a district in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh in recent days, the Times of India newspaper reported on Monday, as authorities investigated whether the loss of life was due to the heat wave in the region.

Another 45 people died in the neighboring state of Bihar, local newspapers reported.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a red alert warning last week for extreme heat in some regions of the country, including Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

The government said it was investigating the cause of the deaths that occurred over three days last week in the Ballia district of Uttar Pradesh, about 970 kilometers (600 miles) southeast of New Delhi.

“There have been deaths in the district, but it is very difficult to say if that happened because of the heat wave,” Ravindra Kumar, the district’s chief administrative officer, told Reuters, without confirming the number of deaths.

“Some of the deaths are related to old age, while others have different reasons. There is no concrete evidence of a heat wave behind these deaths.”

The government fired Diwakar Singh, the chief medical officer at Ballia’s main state hospital, for saying the deaths were due to heat.

The state’s deputy chief minister, Brajesh Pathak, said on social media that Singh had been removed from his post for making an “irresponsible statement”.

Temperatures have soared near 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit) in recent days in Ballia with a severe power crisis exacerbating the situation.

In Bihar, 45 people have lost their lives due to heat-related illnesses, the Hindustan Times newspaper reported. Officials in Patna, the Bihar capital, did not return phone calls.

While the heatwave was expected to continue in some regions on Monday, parts of India’s northeastern state of Assam reeled under flooding brought on by heavy rains.

“Rain intensity in Assam and other north-eastern states is likely to increase this week. Many pockets are expected to receive heavy or extremely heavy rain this week, which could lead to flooding,” a senior IMD official said.

Additional reporting by Rajendra Jadhav in Mumbai; written by Sudipto Ganguly; Edited by Raju Gopalakrishnan

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