Heatwave kills 117 people in Bihar, Section 144 imposed in Gaya

At least 117 people have died in Bihar as a blistering heatwave swept across the state. Five people have died in Munger in the last 48 hours, while 60 people have died due to heatwave condition in Aurangabad. In Gaya, the number of deaths due to heatwave is 35, while it is seven in Nawada, two in Kaimur, one in Arrah, one in Samastipur, five in Munger and six in Nalanda.

District Magistrate of Gaya, Abhishek Singh, on Monday imposed Section 144 in district keeping in mind the prevailing heatwave condition. The DM office has advised people to remain indoors from 11 am till 4 pm. The district administration has also imposed a ban on the construction work from 11am till 4pm. The work under MNREGA programmes will not be done after 10:30 am and no meeting will be allowed in open spaces during this time. All government schools in Bihar will remain closed till June 22 due to prevailing heatwave conditions. Bihar Health Minister Mangal Pandey on Monday visited the patients at Anugrah Narayan Magadh Medical College in Gaya and assured them of all necessary help from the state government's side.

Meanwhile, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has expressed grief over the deaths and announced a compensation of four lakh to the kin of victims. The state government has also issued an alert advising people to avoid stepping outside from their homes and take care while stepping outside. Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan said the deaths are unfortunate and said that people must remain indoors till the temperature drops. "Intense heat affects the brain and leads to various health issues," he said.

Besides Bihar, many other North Indian states have been witnessing severe heatwave conditions for the last three-four weeks. The temperatures in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh have remained over 46 degrees on a regular basis.