Three people die due to heat stroke in Punjab

Chandigarh, June 10 (UNI) Three people died of heat stroke in Punjab as scorching heat wave swept many parts of north-west India today.

An unidentified man died due to heat stroke at Phagwara in Kapurthala district of Punjab this afternoon. His body was sent to a hospital for autopsy.

In another incident, a labourer who was working at the thermal plant at Bhatinda succumbed to intense heat. He was identified as Dina Mandal. In yet another incident, a 50-year old unidentified woman died of heat stroke near the bus stand in Bhatinda town.

With these deaths, the toll in the heat wave, sweeping Punjab and Haryana, rose to 18 so far.

Hot surface winds blew across Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh during the day, lambasting the people facing frequent power-cuts and water scarcity that added to their woes.

Blistering heat wave lashed Hissar with the mercury touching 45.9 degrees celsius, four degrees above normal, there, turning it the hottest place in Haryana. The heat wave forced the people to remain indoors. The town had recorded the highest temperature of 47 degrees celsius last month during this summer so far.

Elsewhere in Haryana, scorching heat wave lashed many areas, including Ambala, Karnal, Rohtak and Faridabad where the temperature stayed above normal. The mercury shot up to 43.0 degrees celsius at Ambala and 42.8 degrees at Karnal.

An intense heat wave conditions prevailed in Punjab with Amritsar turning out to be hottest place in the state, recording 44.0 degrees, three degrees above normal. Ludhiana also showed three degrees above normal and Patiala two degrees up, respectively recording 43.8 degrees and 43.0 degrees celisus.

People in Chandigarh and its adjoining areas also groaned under heat wave conditions with the maximum rising to 42.6 degrees, three degrees above normal.

The mercury also rose in Himnachal Pradesh with the capital town of Shimla recording the maximum at 28.5 degrees, five degrees above normal. Sundernagar in Mandi district recorded a high of 37.6 degrees and Kalpa in Kinnaur district registered 24.1 degrees celsius.

The Met office has predicted light to moderate rain or thundershowers in Himachal Pradesh and mainly sunny day in Haryana and Punjab tomorrow.

UNI VKJ MA BST1924