Patna, June 17: Severe heatwave conditions continued to grip Bihar, with  Aurangabad district being the worst hit with 30 deaths. Till Sunday, nearly 61 people have died in three districts of Bihar-Aurangabad, Gaya and Nawada. Disaster Management Department’s Principal Secretary Pratyaya Amrit on Sunday said 30 people have lost their lives due to the sweltering heat in Aurangabad, while 20 have died in Gaya. In Nawada district, 11 deaths have been reported so far.  In Nalanda, five deaths have been reported on Monday. Gyan Bhushan, Superintendent Pawapuri Medical College, Nalanda informed that while five  people have died due to heatstroke, 58 other patients are undergoing treatment at the hospital. Heatwave Hits India: 8 Indian Cities Among World’s 15 Hottest Places on June 3, 2019.

In the wake of the rising deaths in the state due to heatwave conditions,  Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has expressed grief and has announced a payment of Rs four lakh as ex-gratia to the next of kin of those killed, an official release said. The Chief Minister has also directed officials to take necessary steps and measures in dealing with the heat. Bihar: Panic Grips State as Heatwave Kills 40. 

On Sunday, Patna registered a maximum temperature of 45 degrees Celsius, eight notches above normal, the Patna Meteorological Centre said in a bulletin. On Saturday, the maximum temperature in Patna was 45.8 degrees Celsius, the highest for June in the past 10 years. Meanwhile, Gaya witnessed a high of 44.4 degrees Celsius, while Bhagalpur recorded 41 degrees Celsius, both the readings well above the normal for this time of the year.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 17, 2019 01:31 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).