Heatwave toll rises to 101 in Bihar

Patna, June 21 (IANS) The death toll from severe heatwave rose to 101 in Bihar, an official data showed on Friday. However, unofficially the heatwave has claimed more than 250 deaths across a dozen districts.

According to the State Disaster Management Department website, 101 deaths have been recorded till 11 a.m. on Friday. Of these, Aurangabad recorded 48 deaths, Gaya 39 and Nawada 14.

Death were also reported from Patna, Begusarai, Arwal, Jamui, Bhojpur, Buxar, Rohtas districts where temperatures hovered above 49 degrees Celsius since last week.

Prohibitory orders have been imposed in the wake of extreme weather conditions under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) in Gaya, Begusarai, Darbhanga, Gopalganj, Madhubani and Sitamarhi districts.

The state Chief Secretary Deepak Kumar told the media here that the government will conduct an enquiry on the intensity of the heatwave between 3-5 p.m. on June 15 which resulted in the highest number of deaths in a day due to heatstroke.

"Chief Minister had directed the concerned departments to find out the reasons behind the sudden escalation in heat wave last week," an official said.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has announced a compensation of Rs 4 lakh to the kin of the victims. On Thursday, Nitish Kumar visited the state-run Anugrah Narayan Magadh Medical College and Hospital in Gaya where dozens of heat stroke patients were being treated.

The hospital Superintendent Vijay Krishna said 206 patients were undergoing treatment.

The government has also issued a heat alert and advised people to avoid going out during the day time.