India's deadly heatwave claims 85 lives in 24 hours

A scorching heatwave sweeping across northern and eastern India has claimed the lives of at least 85 people in the past 24 hours, according to Report.

The victims of the heatwave were reported in the states of Odisha, Bihar, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh.

Odisha, located on India's eastern coast, has been hit the hardest, with 46 deaths attributed to head stroke. Dozens more have been hospitalized due to the extreme weather conditions. In response to the crisis, local authorities have instructed hospitals to reserve six beds each for the treatment of heatwave victims and those suffering from related ailments.

Tragically, many of the heatwave's victims were election commission employees who were preparing polling stations for the ongoing general parliamentary elections. India's final phase of voting is taking place on Saturday amidst the sweltering conditions.