Tragic heat wave: Two suspected sunstroke deaths in Odisha

Bhubaneswar: Amidst the scorching heat wave gripping Odisha, tragic incidents unfolded claiming two lives, including that of a young girl, suspectedly due to sunstroke on Saturday.

Santosh Jena, aged 34 and a resident of Osala village in Jajpur district, met with a mishap while returning home on his motorcycle around noon. Subsequently, he was swiftly taken to the Korei Community Health Centre and then referred to the SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack for advanced treatment. Regrettably, despite efforts to transport him to Cuttack, Santosh succumbed before the ambulance could facilitate his transfer.

In another distressing event, Bhubaneswari Das, a 21-year-old from Kaji Diha in Cuttack city, fell ill shortly after returning home from college at noon. She was promptly rushed to the SCB Hospital via ambulance. Initially admitted to the heatstroke ward, her condition deteriorated, and she was later moved to the ICU, where, tragically, she passed away during treatment.

While suspicions linger that these fatalities may be attributed to sunstroke, official confirmation on this matter is still pending.

On Saturday, Baripada and Boudh recorded the highest maximum temperatures in Odisha, soaring to 45.2 degrees Celsius, marking them as the hottest spots in India for the day.

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) reported that the mercury surpassed 43 degrees Celsius at 14 locations across the country. Additionally, the maximum temperature exceeded 43 degrees Celsius at various places in Odisha, West Bengal, Jharkhand, and Chhattisgarh, as per the IMD’s weather report.