Heat Wave Death Toll Increases to 1,030
- Share via
INDIA
The death toll from a weeklong heat wave that gripped southeastern India rose to 1,030 as reports trickled in from remote villages. Most of the dead were older people unable to bear temperatures that reached 122 degrees.
The death toll “is much worse than we had anticipated,” relief commissioner D.C. Roshaiah said. The intense heat turned tin-roofed shanties into ovens. Ponds and rivers dried up, birds fell from the sky, and animals collapsed. The deaths occurred May 9 to May 15. The weekly toll is the highest for any recorded Indian heat wave.
More to Read
Sign up for Essential California
The most important California stories and recommendations in your inbox every morning.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.