India Heat Wave Claims Lives

[DisasterRelief, June 11 1998]

A heat wave in India has killed more than 2,500 people since May, reports Reuters news service. The country has recorded temperatures up to 121 degrees Fahrenheit (49.5 degrees Celsius).

The temperatures are the highest recorded there in 42 years, according to Reuters.

The worst heat descended upon the eastern coastal state of Orissa, while the highest temperature was recorded at Dholpur in Rajasthan. The last highest was 50.6 degree Celsius, recorded in 1956 in Alwar in Rajasthan, Reuters reports.

A loss of supplies has caused a rise in the price of vegetables and fruits.