(MENAFN- The Peninsula) More than 430 people have died in two Indian states during a heatwave that has seen temperatures nudge 50 degrees Celsius and force Kolkata's iconic yellow taxis off the road, officials said Monday.
Officials warned the toll was almost certain to rise, with figures still being collected in some parts of the hard-hit Telangana state in the country's south, and with no end in sight to the searing conditions.
Large parts of India, including national capital New Delhi, have endured days of sweltering heat, prompting fears of power cuts. But the highest temperatures have been recorded in Telangana and neighbouring Andhra Pradesh state.
Andhra Pradesh authorities are urging labourers and others not to work long hours in the heat of the day after 246 people died from the high temperatures there in the last week.
"The majority of the victims are people who have been exposed to the sun directly, usually aged 50 and above and from the working classes," P. Tulsi Rani, special commissioner of Andhra Pradesh's disaster management department, told AFP.
Rani said although the deaths started occurring on Monday last week, the number increased rapidly towards the end of the week after days of scorching heat.
"We are asking them to take precautions like using an umbrella, using a cap, taking a huge quantity of liquids like water and buttermilk, and wearing cotton clothing," he said.
Another 188 people have died in Telangana since April, although most fatalities have occurred since the middle of last week. Latest figures are still being confirmed and highly likely to rise, D. Vani, an official with the state's disaster management department, said.
Hundreds of mainly poor people die at the height of summer every year across the country, while tens of thousands suffer power cuts from an overburdened electricity grid.
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