Heat toll 17 in Odisha, western districts on boil

The heatwave sweeping across Odisha has claimed 17 more lives since yesterday, with Bhawanipatna in western region recording the highest temperature at 45.5 degree Celsius, officials said.
The coastal districts, however, witnessed a marginal fall in temperature.
Bhawanipatna, district headquarters town of the tribal dominated Kalahandi district recorded 45.5 degree C followed by Sonepur while Balangir and Titlagarh experienced 45 degree C temperature each, a met official said.
Sambalpur recorded temperature at 44.8 followed by Hirakud at 44.6, Jharsuguda 43.6, Angul 42.7, Malkangiri 42.6 and Sundergarh 42.5 degrees Celsius.
While 13 places in the state recorded above 40 degrees C, the state capital Bhubaneswar experienced a temperature of 39.7 deg C. The relative humidity in the city dropped to 87 per cent from yesterday's 89 per cent, he said.

The state's Special Relief Commissioner's (SRC) office received reports of 108 deaths reportedly due to sun stroke.

"However, 17 deaths are so far confirmed due to heat related incidents, while 21 other deaths were found from other reasons. 70 other cases are under investigation by the district collectors," a statement issued by the SRC said.
Of the 17 confirmed sun stoke deaths, five was from the coastal Kendrapara district followed by three from Bargarh, two each from Rayagada and Cuttack districts while one each from Angul, Balasore, Balngir, Keonjhar and Ganjam districts.
Meanwhile, the local Met office has issued a warning of possible heat wave conditions at some places in interior areas and thunder squal accompanied with hail and gusty wind speed reaching 60 kmph in one or two places of coastal region.