Extreme heat claims 61 lives in Bihar in a day

Patna, June 16

At least 61 persons have died in a heat wave that hit three Bihar districts on Saturday, officials said on Sunday. 

Thirty persons have lost their lives due to the sweltering heat in Aurangabad, while 20 have died in Gaya and 11 in Nawada district so far since Saturday, Disaster Management Department's Principal Secretary Pratyaya Amrit said.

Expressing grief over the deaths due to “loo” and heatstroke in the three districts, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has announced a payment of Rs 4 lakh as ex-gratia to the next of kin of those killed, an official release said.

He directed the officials concerned to take necessary steps and measures in dealing with the heat. The chief minister also asked the officials to provide all medical help to those affected.

State capital Patna registered a maximum temperature of 45°C on Sunday, eight notches above normal, the Patna Meteorological Centre said in a bulletin. On Saturday, the city recorded a maximum temperature of 45.8°C, the highest for June in the past 10 years.

A heat wave is declared when the maximum temperature is recorded above 4.5°C from its normal maximum for two consecutive days, a Met official said. Gaya witnessed a high of 44.4°C , while Bhagalpur recorded 41°C, both the readings well above the normal for this time of the year, it said.

Met officials said Patna is likely to witness heat wave for the next three days, while in Gaya, the extreme heat will be experienced for at least two days.  Patna District Magistrate Kumar Ravi said all government and private schools in the capital will remain shut till June 19. — PTI