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India heat wave death toll rises to nearly 800

By Andrew V. Pestano

NEW DELHI, May 26 (UPI) -- The heat wave that has affected India since last week has killed nearly 800 people with temperatures in some areas reaching up to 122 degrees Fahrenheit.

Most of the deaths, more than 750, have occurred in the southern Indian states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, where heat has been prevalent since April but with most deaths happening recently.

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Hospitals across India are on alert to treat patients suffering from hyperthermia, or heat strokes.

About 24 people died in West Bengal and Orissa. Hot temperatures are expected for at least two more days.

Andhra Pradesh saw temperatures of 116 degrees Fahrenheit on Monday. Telangana experienced temperatures of 118 degrees Fahrenheit through the weekend.

The heat has reached mountainous locations such as Mussoorie -- about 6,500 feet above sea level that recorded temperatures of about 96 degrees Fahrenheit.

The Indian capital of Delhi, with a population of more than 18 million people, had a two-year record temperature of nearly 114 degrees Fahrenheit on Monday.

"It's baking hot out here -- our outing has turned into a nightmare," Meena Sheshadri, a tourist from the city of Pune who was visiting Delhi with her children, told BBC News. "My throat is parched, even though I've been constantly sipping water."

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Meteorologists attribute the heat wave to the lack of rain, also issuing warnings to Orissa, Jharkhand and Andhra Pradesh where maximum temperatures are expected to remain above 113 degrees Fahrenheit.

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