Over 100 reported dead as central Bihar reels under intense heat

More than 100 people are reported to have died in various parts of Bihar due to the ongoing heatwave conditions, which have taken an alarming proportion in the past four days.

The district magistrate of Gaya, which witnessed one of the worst casualties due to the heatwave, has issued prohibitory orders to ban public activities in the day time by invoking section 144 of the CRPC in the district.

Principal secretary, disaster management department, Pratyay Amrit said that all the district magistrates had been asked to take preventive action and ensure availability of necessary medicines and facilities in the government hospitals to treat the people suffering from sunstroke.

“So far, as many as 79 persons hailing from Aurangabad, Gaya, Nawada and Jamui were found to have fallen prey to heatstroke. The figure may go up, as people suffering from extreme dehydration kept pouring in various hospitals across the central Bihar. The process for listing out the actual deaths due to heatstroke, which had been declared as local disaster by the state government in 2015, may take time as it needed verifications from authorised doctors,” said Amrit.

The maximum temperature in central Bihar region, including Patna, has been hovering between 42-46°C for the past three days. Although there was a slight fall in the temperature, dried westerly has complicated the woes.

On Monday, Patna and Gaya saw the maximum temperature of 42.4°C, while Bhagalpur and Purnia recorded the maximum temperature of 41.6°C and 36°C respectively. The capital city sizzled at 45.8°C on Saturday. Local met officials said that central Bihar region might get some relief from intense heat condition in the next few days, as cloud formation had begun and a few spells of shower could take place.

Some parts of the north-east region of the state on Monday received a few moderate rains, thereby bringing down the day temperature slightly. Monsoon rains has been delayed and the capital city may witness its onset after June 20. Meanwhile, the state government has extended the summer vacation of all government school till June 22.

State health minister Mangal Pandey, who reviewed the state of preparations to deal with patients suffering from heatstroke at Anugrah Narayan Magadh Medical College and Hospital (ANMMCH), Gaya, and Sadar Hospital, Aurangabad, had to face public protest over the absence of facilities to deal with precarious patients. Activists of the Indian National Students Union (NSUI), Jan Adhikar Party (JAP) and Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) mobbed Pandey and waved black flags at Aurangabad.

According to the DMD release, as many as 34 persons have died due to heatstroke in Aurangabad, 31 in Gaya, 12 in Nawada and two in Jamui. Pratyay said that the government had offered an ex-gratia payment of Rs 4 lakh to the nearest kin of 39 deceased so far and added DMD and health department had issued advisories to the people to avoid the heatwave.

No deaths so far was reported from Seemanchal and Kosi regions consisting of seven districts-katihar, Kishanganj, Araria, Purnia, Supaul, Madhepura and Saharsa. In Purnia district hospital alone 30 to 40 patients have been admitted after being hit by heatwave. However Purnia civil surgeon Madhusudan Prasad denied any admission of patients due to heat wave.

So far, nine persons are said to have been died due to heatwave in Rohtas in two days. The district civil surgeon, however, confirmed deaths of only four. In Kaimur two persons including a woman died of hot wave, which is yet to be confirmed officially.

Three persons are said to have fallen victims to heat in Bhojpur till date. A 55-year-old woman Malti Devi of Buxar died due to heat on Sunday. Samar Alam, 15, of Daulatpur village of Ara was also found dead from the extreme heat

First Published: Jun 18, 2019 12:38 IST