Heatwave: Death toll crosses 550 mark in Andhra Pradesh

HYDERABAD: The death toll due to severe heatwave sweeping Andhra Pradesh has risen to 550 with the scorching weather claiming 104 lives in Guntur district alone, officials said today.

Severe heatwave conditions continued today in many parts of the state, they said.

The heatwave claimed 551 lives in the state, according to information available till 8 PM yesterday, Special Commissioner for Disaster Management Tulsi Rani said.

Guntur district recorded maximum 104 deaths, followed by East Godavari-90, Vizianagaram-84, Visakhapatnam-61 and Prakasam district-57, she told PTI.

In other districts, the death toll varied between 8 and 36.

According to the Meteorological department, severe heatwave to heatwave conditions prevailed today over many parts in Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam, East Godavari, West Godavari, Krishna, Guntur, Prakasham and Nellore districts of coastal Andhra Pradesh.

The heatwave conditions would prevail in some parts of Kurnool and Chittoor districts of Rayalaseema, it predicted.

On Sunday, the highest maximum temperature of 47 deg Celsius was recorded in Kakinada, Machilipatnam, Jangamaheswarapuram and Tuni, it said.