Days of Sweltering Heat, Power Cuts in Northern India Overwhelm Hospitals as Death Toll Climbs

Shiela Mishra wipes the head of her ailing brother to keep him cool from the heat wave by using a wet cloth at the district hospital in Ballia, Uttar Pradesh state, India, on June 19, 2023. Rajesh Kumar Singh/AP Photo

BALLIA, India—A scorching heat wave in two of India’s most populous states has overwhelmed hospitals, filled a morgue to capacity, and disrupted power supply, forcing staff to use books to cool patients, as officials investigate the number of deaths that has reached nearly 170.

In the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, 119 people have died from heat-related illnesses over the last several days while neighboring Bihar state reported 47 fatalities, according to local news reports and health officials.