Mercury soars in Odisha, sunstroke toll rises to 17

After a brief respite, the gruelling heat wave resurfaced in Odisha today with mercury soaring up to 44 deg C in Sonepur while the toll due to sunstroke rose to 17.
The toll due to sunstroke mounted to 17 with reports of two more deaths - one each from Mayurbhanj and Balangir, official sources said.
Four sun stroke deaths were confirmed in Mayurbhanj district, three in Balangir, two in Keonjhar and one each in Angul, Balasore, Bhadrak, Cuttack, Dhenkanal, Jajpur, Kendrapara and Khurda district, according to sources in the special relief commissioner's office.
While the maximum temperature shot up to 44 deg C at Sonepur from 40 degree yesterday, state capital Bhubaneswar sizzled at 43.2 degree Celsius compared to yesterday's 37.8 degree, the meteorological centre here said.

Sambalpur recorded a maximum temperature of 42.8 degree Celsius, followed by 42.6 deg C at Hirakud, Talcher and Chandbali, 42.4 degree at Baripada and Jharsuguda and 42 degree Celsius at Balangir, Titlagarh and Sundargarh.