Himalayan News Service

Lucknow, June 21:

The continuing heat wave in Uttar Pradesh has killed 44 more people, pushing the toll to 116, officials said today. The state’s worst summer in 100 years killed four people in the state capital, where the mercury has crossed 46 degrees Celsius. “The four dead in Lucknow were pavement dwellers without a shelter over their heads,” said a local police official. Brief showers yesterday evening did provide some respite, but the sun was blazing again today.

The monsoon rains are still four to five days away. “It may be unusual for the temperature to be consistently rising so high at this time, but the monsoon rarely arrives here before June 25. One will have to bear the heat for a few more days,” said meteorological department chief RK Verma. “Usually, the heat is punctuated by one or two western disturbances,” he said. The eastern and southern parts of the state are bearing the brunt of the searing sun with Sonbhadra district, bordering Bihar and Madhya Pradesh, recording 49 degrees Celsius.

30 die in Pakistan, says report

ISLAMABAD: Intense heat with sweltering temperatures of up to 48 degrees Celsius in Pakistan has killed 30 people, a news report said on Tuesday. As many as 12 people died in rural areas in the southern Sindh province, while 18 deaths were reported from eastern Punjab province, The News reported. Officials contacted couldn’t confirm the death toll.

Hundreds of people fainted on Monday across the country because of the scorching heat, the report said. — AP