Odisha issues heatwave advisory after sunstroke deaths

Bhubaneswar, May 31: In response to multiple fatalities attributed to sunstroke in Odisha's Sundargarh district, the Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) Satyabrata Sahu issued a precautionary advisory on Friday, advising citizens to refrain from outdoor activities between 11 am and 3 pm.

SRC Satyabrata Sahu cautioned the public against venturing outdoors during the peak daytime hours, citing forecasts of severe heatwave conditions over the next three days, particularly in Western and Central Odisha.

Addressing a press briefing, SRC Sahu emphasized the advice, citing warnings from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) regarding the prevailing heatwave conditions. He stressed the need for adherence to the advisory to mitigate potential heat-related incidents.

SRC Sahu underscored the administration's commitment to enforcing compliance with the advisory, invoking the Disaster Management Act to take action against any entities, governmental or private, found contravening the directives.

Providing an update on the situation, Sahu disclosed that Sundargarh district recorded 12 sunstroke-related deaths, with an additional six reported in Jharsuguda district. He mentioned ongoing post-mortem examinations to ascertain the precise cause of each fatality.

Highlighting the demographics of the victims, SRC Sahu noted that many of the reported cases involved laborers and truck drivers succumbing to the heat. He further revealed the deployment of a specialized team from the Health Department to investigate sunstroke-related deaths in Rourkela city, Sundargarh district.