HYDERABAD: The unrelenting heat wave continued to claim lives in AP and Telangana on Wednesday. Thus far, 1,027 people died in AP and 340 in Telangana, taking the summer body count to 1,367 in both the States.
As the weatherman predicted, thunderstorms and mild showers were reported at isolated places in Telangana but that didn’t help. State disaster management officials confirmed 74 deaths on Wednesday but refused to clarify if they occurred in the last 24 hours. “The figure we are receiving from the ground as of now is 340 deaths in Telangana. However, the increase in number is because some of them were not reported earlier,” explained BR Meena, principal secretary (revenue).
His counterparts in AP confirmed the toll had increased from 852 to 1,027 in the State in the last 24 hours. “We have not yet received figures from Prakasam and West Godavari. So, it could be even higher,” said a senior official.The highest maximum temperature of 46.6 degree Celsius was recorded in Nizamabad on Wednesday. Met officials said heat wave conditions may prevail in both States for the next 48 hours.