At least 52 people have died in New Delhi due to a severe heatwave in northern India, as reported by the Times of India on Thursday. The country is facing unprecedented high temperatures this summer.
Hospitals in New Delhi received 52 bodies over the last two days, mostly belonging to impoverished individuals who lived and worked outdoors, as reported by the Times of India.
India has reported over 40,000 suspected cases of heatstroke this summer, with at least 110 confirmed deaths between March 1 and June 18. During this period, northwest and eastern India experienced twice the usual number of days classified as heatwaves.
The Hindu newspaper called for a classification of prolonged summers as a natural disaster, citing water scarcity and record power consumption in its editorial on Thursday.
In response to the situation, the health ministry instructed both federal and state institutions to prioritise immediate care for patients, while hospitals were urged to increase bed capacity.
Meteorologists have predicted temperatures above normal for this month, and Delhi experienced its warmest night in over 50 years on Wednesday, with a minimum temperature of 35.2 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit) based on data from the weather department.
Scientists argue that billions of people in Asia are facing extreme heat, a phenomenon exacerbated by human-induced climate change.
Nancy Mbamalu
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