India records 56 heat wave deaths

India records 56 heat wave deaths

NEW DELHI, June 04 (Xinhua/UNB) -- At least 56 people were killed and nearly 25,000 suspected heat stroke cases recorded in the last three months in India, a local media report quoting federal health ministry said Monday.

"There were at least 56 confirmed heatstroke deaths across the country from March to May, with 46 of them in May alone, according to central (federal) government data," local newspaper Hindustan Times said.

According to the newspaper, officials in many states have hesitated to classify deaths from heat exposure if autopsies have been unavailable.

As per the data, Madhya Pradesh has reported the maximum number of deaths at 14, followed by Maharashtra at 11.

The newspaper said as many as 24,849 heatstroke cases have been reported since March 1.

This year, the temperatures have been record-breaking in India. Many parts in India have been experiencing unrelenting heat wave for over two weeks in the past, with maximum temperatures hovering above 45 degree Celsius at a stretch and even soaring beyond 50 degree Celsius in some areas.

Last month India Meteorological Department (IMD) said, the country would face extreme heat from April to June with the central and western peninsula regions anticipated to be the worst affected.