Soaring mercury levels claim six lives in state

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Bhubaneswar: Six people succumbed to sunstroke in different areas Tuesday as intense heatwave condition continued to prevail in state Tuesday.
“The prevailing climatic condition will continue for few more days. However, there will be little respite from the hot weather in some places where thunderstorm occurred. The rest of the state will continue to grip under the heatwave,” said director of Bhubaneswar Met Centre, HR Biswas. On the other hand, he said that the south-west monsoon is likely to be active in between June 23 and 25. The intensity of rainfall is likely to increase from June 25, the director said.
While a farmer reportedly succumbed to sunstroke at Hinjilicut of Ganjam, two others died in separate incidents in Kendrapara and Bargarh districts. The victim in Hinjilcut has been identified as Upendra Mohanty (62), a farmer from Kanjiama village in Ganjam, suffered sunstroke while working in his farmland.
Sunstroke claimed Chandramani Behera (62) of Jajanga village under Kendrapara tehsil after he visited Kendrapara town on some work. He collapsed soon after he returned home in the afternoon.
A casual labourer Bibhishan Swain (60) also allegedly died of sunstroke at Tandol village under this block in Bargarh district, police said In Balasore’s Bhograi block, the deceased was identified as Dinabandhu De (68). He suffered sunstroke while working in a betel vine yard. In yet another incident, Bishnuprasad Puhan of Bangalisahi died of sunstroke in Bhadrak. The sixth victim, Bula Behera (45) is from Kanas in Puri district.
The heatwave continued to prevail across the state Tuesdat as mercury soared above 40 degrees Celsius in at least 10 places of the state.
Capital city Bhubaneswar remained the hottest place in the state for the third consecutive day with highest temperature of 42.3 degrees Celsius. However, a brief downpour triggered by thunderstorm in the afternoon provided much needed relief to residents in Bhubaneswar.
The places that were recorded a maximum temperature above 40°C are —Balasore (40.5), Chandabali (40.8), Cuttack (40.1), Angul (41.7), Baripada (42), Talcher (41.9), Bolangir and Titlagarh (40.5) and Dhenkanal (40.2).
Meanwhile, at least 10 persons sustained injuries during a nor’wester-triggered thunderstorm here Tuesday.