Heat claims 11 lives in 15 days in Anantapur district

‘Most of these deaths are related to exhaustion and electrolyte imbalance’

More than 11 persons are suspected to have died in just the past 15 days due to sunstroke and related reasons such as exhaustion across Anantapur district even as the mercury continues to soar.

In just the last six days, eight persons have died, allegedly due to the same reasons.

The officially accepted figure is six not counting the three deaths on Wednesday and Thursday.

Khadar Basha, 46, of the Uravakonda mandal headquarters village, who also works as the minority cell president of the YSRCP for the Uravakonda Assembly constituency, died while on his way to the Uravakonda Government General Hospital.

Case of minor girl

Meenakshi, 14, belonging to Attibelagal village of Alur mandal of Kurnool district, was working as a child labour in the temple town of Kasapuram.

According to police, Meenakshi worked through the day at various shops and later worked at the temple carrying water during which she complained of severe headache before fainting. She died before the ambulance arrived.

In Dharmavaram town, which saw several deaths last summer, 28-year-old weaver Obula Reddy, residing in Kesava Nagar area, complained of exhaustion and restlessness after coming back from work. He died later while being treated in the hospital.

“Most of these deaths are eventually related to exhaustion and electrolyte imbalance. The girl in Kasapuram was already suffering from anaemia and she worked in the hot sun for two days. The weaver in Dharamavarm spent a lot of time next to the hole in which the loom is placed and the room neither had ventilation nor a fan,” District Medical and Health Officer Venkatramana, told The Hindu . “Every year tens of people die, especially farmers and old people staying at homes. However, the government hasn't been able to do a targeted intervention to stop these deaths and only resorts to taking cover under medical jargon”, Mr. K.V. Ramana, senior Congress leader from the district, told The Hindu .

Temperature up

Temperatures continue to rise in spite of the brief showers over the last two days, with the Singanamala mandal recording the highest temperature in the district at 44.1 degrees Celsius.

The lowest was recorded in Dharamavaram town at 40.3 degrees Celsius.

If not for concerned private citizens of the district providing water and butter milk through ‘Chalivendrams’ at several places, including at bus stations and the railway stations, the toll could well have been higher.