Bhubaneswar:
The death toll in the heat wave in Odisha mounted to ten with three persons succumbing to sunstroke in coastal Balasore district as most parts of the state recorded temperatures above 40 degree Celsius, sources said.
The state government was also verifying 26 other alleged heat wave deaths in Angul, Bargarh, Bolangir, Boudh, Ganjam, Jajpur and Sonepur. One person each had died earlier in each of the seven districts, the sources added.
Of the total 60 complaints of sunstroke deaths received so far, 34 had been verified of which 10 were due to heat related ailments, Special Relief Commissioner PK Mohapatra said.
The district collectors were verifying 26 other cases, he said.
Meanwhile, Bhubaneswar recorded a temperature of 40.2 degree Celsius, while Titlagarh and Sambalpur reeled under 45.5 degree Celsius, followed by 44.8 degree Celsius at Hirakud and 44.6 degree Celsius at Jharsuguda.
Other districts which recorded temperatures above 40 degree Celsius were Malkangiri, Kandhamal, Bolangir, Kalahandi, Sundergarh, Keonjhar, Jharsuguda, Mayrubhanj and Angul.
The MET office predicted the heat wave condition would prevail for at least three days more.