46 degrees and rising: Telangana heatwave kills 34, Khammam among India’s hottest

Telangana recorded extreme temperatures in 244 mandals, with Khammam among India’s hottest locations and dozens dying due to heat-related causes.

Hyderabad: A brutal heatwave sweeping across Telangana has claimed at least 34 lives as temperatures soared above 46 degrees Celsius in several districts, with Khammam emerging among the 10 hottest places in India on Friday, May 22.

Extreme temperatures were recorded in 244 mandals across the state on Friday, with Sirpur (T) in Asifabad district emerging as the hottest location at 46.5 degrees Celsius.

The mounting death toll comes a day after at least 22 people reportedly died across Telangana on Thursday, May 21, underscoring the escalating severity of the ongoing heatwave. The victims included elderly residents, students, farmers, agricultural labourers and daily wage workers from more than a dozen districts.

Deaths reported on Thursday

According to a report by ETV Bharat, in Mahabubabad district, three people lost their lives — Kesa Lachamma, 89, from Kotha Irsulapuram village, woman farmer Gugulothu Amrutha, 54, from Hanumannagar Thanda, and Gade Komuramma, 95, from Kalvala village in Kesamudram mandal.

In Hanamkonda district, 25-year-old Gannoj Anil from Keshavapur village in Elkathurthi mandal reportedly died of sunstroke. Agricultural labourer Nampalli Sakkamma, 58, from Mogullapalli mandal in Bhupalpally district and Dudapaka Pochayya, 60, originally from Challagarige in Chityal mandal but residing in Kazipet, also succumbed to the heat.

Mulugu district witnessed multiple deaths, including 85-year-old Madari Laxmi from Eturunagaram mandal and an unidentified woman, believed to be around 55 years old, who was found collapsed near the Mulugu bus stand. Yakoob Pasha, 45, from Bagirthipeta village in Regonda mandal, also lost his life.

Among the youngest victims was 17-year-old Intermediate student Bommidi Venkatesh from Siripuram village in Nadigudem mandal of Suryapet district. Charlapalli Somaiah, 65, a hamali working at a paddy procurement centre in Tungaturthi, also died amid the severe heat conditions.

Other reported fatalities on Thursday included Beedimadla Ramulu, 70, from Munugode mandal in Nalgonda district; Cherukuri Rajalingam, 75, from Yadadri Bhuvanagiri; MD Chand Bee, 61, and Dasari Rajaiah, 62, from Old Mancherial; Kondareddy, 75, from Jogulamba Gadwal; Prabhakar Reddy, 50, from Medak; Poodari Srinivas, 48, from Jagtial; Ravulapalli Radhakrishna, 42, from Ramagundam; employment guarantee worker Pochayya, 60, from Gangadhara mandal in Karimnagar; Tipparaveni Kanakamma, 90, from Karimnagar; and Kothapalli Seetha, 51, from Khammam city.

Deaths and heatwave conditions reported on Friday

On Friday, the heatwave intensified further, with 244 mandals across Telangana recording severe heatwave conditions. According to the ETV Bharat report, Adilabad district recorded the highest number of fatalities.

Victims reported on Friday included Rajeshwar, 52, from Nizamabad district; Srinivas, 40, a mason from Jagtial district; Karne Lachayya, 85; Jadav Lathabai, 54; Aatram Ramu, 44; and Kova Kiran Kumar, 27, along with several others from Adilabad district. Additional deaths were reported from Peddapalli, Sangareddy, Jayashankar Bhupalpally, Warangal, Mahabubabad, Nalgonda and Khammam districts.

Several districts, including Jagtial, Karimnagar, Mancherial, Nizamabad, Peddapalli, Sircilla and Suryapet recorded temperatures between 46.2 degrees Celsius and 46.4 degrees Celsius. Nighttime temperatures also remained unusually high due to low humidity levels, offering little respite from the oppressive daytime heat.

IMD red alert

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for 18 districts and warned that severe heatwave conditions are likely to persist over the next several days. Authorities have advised residents to avoid direct exposure to the sun during peak afternoon hours, stay hydrated and seek immediate medical attention in case of heatstroke symptoms.

The Telangana government recently increased compensation for heatstroke-related deaths from Rs 50,000 to Rs 4 lakh, while officials have been directed to establish cooling wards and implement additional safeguards for outdoor workers.