29 deaths in last four days b'coz of heat in Ahmedabad

As the mercury continued to hover around 45 degrees celsius in city, many more fell prey to the heat. The rising mercury killed two more persons on Sunday, taking the total death toll due to heat in the city in last four days to 29.

The flow of patients suffering from heat-related ailments kept pouring in at Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation-run VS Hospital, LG Hospital and Shardaben Hospital and at Civil Hospital. A senior AMC official said, "There has been a decrease in number of heat-related patients in comparison to last three days, we have received 19 cases in which two persons died."

The soaring temperatures coupled with prolonged dry spells for last few weeks with no humidity in air has made life difficult for people across the state and the coming days may not be any better.

Though it was a Sunday, people chose to stay indoors and most of the roads wore a deserted look while city malls recorded a decrease in footfalls.


According to India Meteorological Department (IMD), Ahmedabad, the city recorded the 45.8 degree celsius on Sunday, which is six degrees above normal temperature.

An IMD official said, "The heat wave conditions will continue in the city for next two days and people should try to stay indoors and avoid prolonged exposure to direct sunlight." Regional manager of GVK EMRI-run 108 services, Jayesh Gupta, told , "More than 300 heat related cases had been taken care of by the 108 ambulance service in last three days. On Saturday, more than 140 cases were handled and most of them were referred by clinics after the conditions of the patients worsened."

The 108 ambulance service had to utilise three additional ambulances in the city to attend an increasing number of heat related cases in the city, "On Sunday, we got 35 heat-related cases," added Gupta.