Bhubaneswar, June 11: As many as 41 people have died of sunstroke in Odisha since March, the Special Relief Commissioner’s (SRC) office confirmed on Monday.
The SRC office received at least 159 suspected sunstroke death cases between March 1 and June 9 from across the state of which eight were reported in the last 72 hours.
Out of which 45 death cases were not due to sunstroke while 73 cases are pending inquiry at the district level, the SRC office said.
The SRC office has directed collectors to closely monitor the heatwave and sweltering condition in their respective districts following the India Meteorological Department (IMD)’s forecast of a gradual rise in maximum day temperature by 2 degree to 3 degree Celsius during the next five days.
Nuapada sizzled at 44 degree C and was the hottest across the state on Monday followed by Baripada 42 degree C, Balasore 40.5 degree C, Phulbani 38.9 degree C, and Keonjhar 39.9 degree C.
While Bhubaneswar recorded 39.2 degree C, the highest temperature was recorded 39.8 degree C Cuttack.
Weather experts attributed the heatwave and hot/humid conditions to northerly and north-westerly winds blowing towards the state.
