At least 18 people have lost their lives due to a heatwave in India, with temperatures likely exceeding 50 degrees Celsius.
According to The Independent, ten people died in the states of Odisha and Bihar respectively, while another person perished in Delhi on Thursday, and passengers fainted at the country’s capital airport due to the extreme heat.
An Air India flight bound for San Francisco was delayed by 20 hours after several passengers fainted from the high temperatures following an eight-hour delay. It was reported that the airplane did not have air conditioning.
The deaths in Odisha were reported at the state hospital in the city of Rourkela. Eight of them died upon arrival at the hospital, while two died during treatment, officials said.
The state government is investigating the reasons for the deaths, but suspects it was due to the wave of extreme heat.
According to the National Disaster Response Force center, out of the 18 deceased individuals, eight were election commission workers.
