Bhubaneswar, (Orissa Today), June 3: In Odisha, the intense heatwave has claimed the lives of at least 20 individuals since Friday, according to official reports.
A total of 99 suspected sunstroke-related deaths were recorded across various districts in the past three days. Following post-mortem examinations and joint inquiries, 20 deaths were confirmed as sunstroke-related, while two were attributed to other causes.
Investigations are ongoing into the remaining suspected sunstroke deaths, as stated in the official release. Most of these cases were reported from districts including Bolangir, Sambalpur, Jharsuguda, Keonjhar, Subarnapur, Sundargarh, and Balasore.
Earlier, 42 suspected sunstroke deaths were reported from different districts, with six confirmed cases. Additionally, six deaths were determined to have occurred due to other causes.
To address the escalating situation, Odisha Chief Secretary Pradeep Kumar Jena and Special Relief Commissioner Satyabrata Sahu convened a review meeting with District Collectors on Sunday. Directives were issued to implement heatwave advisories and precautionary measures across districts. Furthermore, districts were instructed to conduct post-mortem examinations for suspected sunstroke deaths to facilitate ex-gratia payments. A joint inquiry involving local revenue officers (tehsildars) and medical officers is mandated to determine the precise cause of each death.
