The heat wave conditions sweeping Andhra Pradesh and Telangana claimed the lives of 10 persons over the last three days. The victims were mostly NREGS workers hailing from Nizamabad, Mahbubnagar, Anantapur, Kurnool and Kadapa districts. Anantapur district reported the highest number of sunstroke-related deaths so far with three such cases reported.

This is the first time in years that so many people have died due to sunstroke-related issues in March. Many places in the two Telugu states have reported temperatures over 40 degrees celsius in the month. While Andhra Pradesh is facing a heat wave in March for the first time since 1996, the last time the mercury soared past 40 degrees celsius in Telangana in March was in 2010