At least 23 feared dead in India heat wave

From Inquirer.net :

Agence France-Presse

19 Apr, 2009

NEW DELHI -- At least 23 people are suspected to have died in a heat wave swirling across eastern India, officials said Sunday.

The heat-wave deaths were reported in Orissa state, where the district of Talchar recorded a temperature of 44.3 degrees Celsius (111.7 degrees Fahrenheit) Sunday, the Press Trust of India reported.

"The reported deaths occurred this month but we are trying to confirm if the heat wave was the reason for the casualties," a spokesman for Orissa's health department told AFP by telephone.

Elsewhere, Hissar city was the hottest place in northern India, at 42 degrees Celsius, while the mercury reached 41.6 degrees Celsius in the Indian capital, New Delhi, the meteorological department said.

The heat wave has hit campaigning in many of the 141 parliamentary constituencies during the current national elections, PTI reported.

The staggered national elections, which began Thursday, will end May 13, when temperatures are expected to rise even further.

At least 137 people died in last summer's heat wave in India.