15 people have passed away in Gujarat as temperatures have risen to as high as 46.1°C.
The extreme heat in Gujarat has resulted in the deaths of 15 people. In Surat, ten people died after showing symptoms of suffocation, epileptic convulsions, dysentery, and heatstroke related to the heatwave. Four people died in Vadodara due to similar causes, and a four-year-old child lost his life in Vadgam. In total, nineteen people have died in Gujarat due to the abnormally hot weather this summer.
Seven of the ten deaths in Surat were migrants, and two could not be identified. All of them were between the ages of 35 and 50. The heat affects people living in galvanized shades more severely.
Gujarat has been experiencing extreme heat for eight days, with temperatures reaching a record-breaking peak of 46.1 degrees Celsius in Himmat Nagar and Kandala, and 45.9 degrees in Ahmedabad. The heatwave has affected 12 cities in the state.
While the heatwave has a greater impact on the elderly, young people are also advised to take precautions. Dehydration due to direct heat can lead to severe complications as the heart struggles to regulate the body temperature.
The Indian Institute of Public Health in Gandhinagar has urged citizens to take the red alert notice seriously. Data from 2002 to 2018 shows that the probability of death among the elderly increases by 30% during heatwaves. Ahmedabad was the first city to implement a heatwave action plan, and now many cities in the state have followed suit.
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