Heatwave claims 61 lives in Bihar, Nitish Kumar announces Rs 4 lakh compensation for kin of deceased

Patna: At least 61 people have died in three districts of Bihar as a blistering heatwave swept several places in the state, officials said on Sunday. [caption id=“attachment_2444068” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representational image. PTI[/caption] Thirty people have lost their lives due to the sweltering heat in Aurangabad, while 20 have died in Gaya and 11 in Nawada district so far since 15 June, Disaster Management Department’s Principal Secretary, Pratyaya Amrit said. Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar has expressed grief over the deaths due to “loo” and heatstroke in the three districts, and has announced a payment of Rs four lakh as ex-gratia to the next of kin of those killed, an official release said. He directed the officials concerned to take necessary steps and measures in dealing with the heat. The chief minister also asked the officials to provide all medical help to those affected. State capital Patna registered a maximum temperature of 45°C on Sunday, eight notches above normal, the Patna Meteorological Centre said in a bulletin. On Saturday, the city recorded a maximum temperature of 45.8°C, highest for June in the past 10 years. A heatwave is declared when the maximum temperature is recorded above 4.5°C from its normal maximum for two consecutive days, an India Meteorological Department official said. Gaya witnessed a high of 44.4°C, while Bhagalpur recorded 41°C, both the readings well above the normal for this time of the year, it said. Met officials said Patna is likely to witness heatwave for the next three days, while in Gaya, the extreme heat will be experienced for at least two days.