Death toll from severe heatwave in India reaches 1,100

Indian government officials have announced that the death toll from the severe heatwave sweeping across the country has reached 1,100, with meteorological forecasts warning that the heatwave will continue. According to a report on June 6 by AFP, southern regions of India have been more affected by this heatwave and dry weather than other parts of the country, with most victims being construction workers, the elderly, and the homeless who cannot stay at home due to the extreme heat. In Andhra Pradesh, which has been more affected than any other place, about 900 people have died since May 18. Government officials stated that this toll is double the heat-related mortality rate from last summer. In the neighboring state of Telangana, where temperatures reached 48 degrees Celsius on Saturday and Sunday, over 200 people have died in the past week, compared to 31 deaths from heat last year. In Delhi, the capital of India, meteorological forecasts indicate that the heatwave will continue into next week, endangering the lives of thousands of poor individuals living on the streets without any facilities or shelter. Power outages occur for several hours daily in many neighborhoods of Delhi, especially in low-income residential areas on the outskirts of the city. Power plants and the electricity transmission network in India do not have sufficient capacity to meet the people's needs. According to AFP, a shopkeeper in one of the outskirts of Delhi said, "Nothing can stop this heat. Even after taking ten showers, we cannot cope with this heat. We try to stay at home as much as possible, but this heat is much more intense than last year. The power keeps going out, and air conditioners and cooling devices are practically useless." According to statistics from the Crime Records Bureau in India, between 2004 and 2013, 9,700 people died in the country due to severe heat. In 2012 and 2013, about 1,200 people died each year during the severe heat season. The streets of Delhi, especially the surrounding neighborhoods, are extremely deserted, and those who dare to go out in this heat cover their heads against the intense sunlight. The business of beverage stalls has flourished, and construction workers and taxi drivers flock to these stalls to resist the heat. Street vendors across the city sell bottles of water and other drinks to drivers stuck in traffic. The director of the Indian Meteorological Department announced that temperatures in Delhi will remain around 45 degrees in the coming days, indicating a severe heatwave for the country. He added, "Maximum temperatures will not decrease in the coming days, but will decline from June 2 due to the onset of monsoon rains." Hospitals in areas most affected by this heatwave are on standby, and government departments are advising people in various ways to stay at home and drink enough water. According to reports from Indian news agencies and media, in recent days, 43 people have died in Odisha in eastern India and 13 in West Bengal. The Times of India has warned that some areas most affected by the heatwave will face drought before the arrival of the monsoon season. Typically, monsoon rains in southern India begin in late May, but it will take weeks for these rains to reach the drier northern regions of India.