India Reports: 16 heat-related deaths in the Indian state of Telangana
According to media reports, at least 16 people have died in one day in the Indian state of Telangana due to the effects of the extreme heat, with temperatures at times exceeding 45 degrees.
24.05.2026, 18:30
SDA
The news agency PTI and other Indian media reported that the deaths were due to the current heatwave, citing the finance minister of the southern union state, Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy. The deaths came from different districts of Telangana and were all reported on Friday.
Not all of the 16 dead had died as a result of heat stroke alone, the newspaper "The Times of India" quoted a local health official as saying. Some of them had pre-existing medical conditions, especially the elderly.
Millions of Indians moan because of the heatwave
A heatwave has had a firm grip on large parts of the country for days now. High temperatures are not unusual on the Indian subcontinent at this time of year. However, the weather office reported up to five degrees "above normal" in some of the affected parts of the country, including the capital region of Delhi. On Saturday, the Vidarbha region in the eastern state of Maharastra recorded the highest temperature of the day at 47.1 degrees.
The authorities issue a heatwave warning when the maximum temperature is at least 40 degrees or more in flat areas and at least 30 degrees in higher altitudes. A heatwave describes conditions that can be fatal to the human body if exposed to it, according to the website of the Meteorological Department of the Ministry of Earth Sciences, adding that the heatwave could continue in some parts of the country over the next few days.
