Day: June 19, 2023

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Heatwave death toll close to 100 in India

The death toll in India’s northern state Uttar Pradesh and its adjoining state Bihar due to the prevailing extreme heatwave conditions rose to 98 over the past three days, local officials said Sunday.

While 54 people have died in Uttar Pradesh, 44 people died in Bihar due to the hot weather. Most patients were aged above 60 years, according to the officials.

The India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) data showed the maximum temperature in some parts of the country at 42.2 Degrees Celsius on Friday and Saturday, which was said to be 4.7 Degrees Celsius above normal.

The most affected district in Uttar Pradesh has been Ballia. “All the individuals were suffering from some ailments and their conditions worsened due to the extreme heat,” Ballia’s Chief Medical Officer was quoted by local media as saying.

As many as 23 deaths were reported on Thursday, 20 deaths on Friday and 11 deaths on Saturday. Besides, at least 400 people were admitted to a district hospital in Ballia over the last three days. The patients complained of fever, breathlessness and other health complications due to heat stroke.

According to the district authorities, fans, air-coolers and air-conditioners have been arranged in the government hospital to prevent the risk of heat stroke for the patients and the staff.

Also, more doctors and paramedical staff have been working in the hospital due to the influx of patients.

Source: Lao News Agency

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N. Korea cites failed satellite launch as ‘most serious’ failure in key party meeting

North Korea called its failed attempt to launch a purported military reconnaissance satellite as the “most serious” shortcoming in the first half of this year, reaffirming its pledge to put it into orbit soon, Pyongyang’s state media said Monday.

The assessment came at the 8th Central Committee of the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea that wrapped up on Sunday referred to the North’s attempt to launch a rocket carrying a military spy satellite on May 31.

The “Chollima-1” rocket carrying a military reconnaissance satellite, “Malligyong-1,” crashed into the Yellow Sea.

“The most serious one was the failure of the military reconnaissance satellite launch, the important strategic work in the field of space development, on May 31,” the North’s Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said in an English-language dispatch, citing the failure as among the “shortcomings that cannot be overlooked.”

The North has pledged to put the satellite into orbit soon.

Source: Yonhap News Agency