Sunstroke toll touches 37 in Odisha, IMD predicts rainfall

BHUBANESWAR: The death toll due to sunstroke in Odisha touched 37 with the District Collector of Jajpur confirming two more cases today even as the Met department predicted rainfall in southern region and also in norther districts.

Heatwave eased in the state with the mercury dropping below 40 degrees Celsius and the state capital Bhubaneswar recording 39.9 degrees Celsius against yesterday's 37 degrees C.

The relative humidity continued to remain high at 87 per cent in the city.

The Indian Met Department has predicted rain and thundershowers at many places over south Odisha and few places in the northern districts. It also predicted rainfall in coastal districts.

Meanwhile, the state Special Relief Commissioner's (SRC) office confirmed the death of 37 people due to sunstroke across Odisha.

While two deaths were reported from Jajpur district today taking the district's heat stroke-caused death toll to four, Ganjam had the highest number of seven sunstroke casualties in this period, an SRC official said.

Six sun-stroke deaths were reported from Kendrapara, four in Bargarh, three in Dhenkanal, two each in Balangir, Cuttack, Puri and Rayagada districts, and one each in Angul, Balasore, Khurda, Jagatsinghpur and Nuapada districts, the official said.