New Delhi: The bodies of 50 people belonging to underprivileged socioeconomic backgrounds were recovered around Delhi during the past 48 hours, police said, as the searing heatwave sweeping the city has caused a spike in casualties and heatstroke cases.
Police and health officials, however, have not confirmed if all of them died of heat-related causes. A senior police officer said the body of a 55-year-old man was found at the children’s park near India Gate on Wednesday and added that a post-mortem will be conducted to ascertain the cause of death.
The Centre for Holistic Development, an NGO working for the homeless, claimed that 192 homeless deaths were recorded in Delhi due to the heatwave from June 11 to 19.
In the national capital, hospitals reported a spike in cases of heatstroke and heat exhaustion and several deaths in the past two days.
The city recorded a maximum temperature of 43.6 degrees Celsius, over four notches above the normal. The night temperature in Delhi was 35.2 degrees Celsius, the city’s highest in June since 1969, the Met office said on Wednesday.
The Centre-run RML Hospital received 22 patients in the last two days. There have been five deaths and 12 to 13 patients are on ventilator support.
