The number of dead which were taken to a crematorium beside the Ganges River in northern India doubled in the last weekaccording to a Hindu priest, as a heat wave hits parts of the country.

“The situation here has changed in the last four to five days. 25 to 30 dead people arrived and people were here day and night in the heat.”said Rev. Rajesh Pandey, who presides over funeral rites at the crematorium.

The Chief Superintendent of Medical Services in Ballia district of Uttar Pradesh, S.K. Yadav, confirmed that there is a rise in the number of tickets at the district’s main hospital and said an investigation has been launched to determine the cause of death. “The patients who came here already had co-morbidities and were terminally illYadav said, without giving the exact death toll.

The Indian Express newspaper reported that the hospital had recorded at least 80 deaths from June 15 as temperatures reached almost 45 degrees Celsius in the region, before cloud cover offered some respite today. The deaths in Ballia have sparked controversy as the government in Uttar Pradesh replaced a district health official after saying they were due to the heat.

Patients housed in overcrowded hospital wards try to find some coolness with the help of fans. Brigesh Yadav, 28, said he rushed his 85-year-old grandfather to hospital yesterday after he complained of difficulty breathing. “Doctors say this happened because of the heat,” he said.

In the neighboring state of Bihar, at least 50 people died due to heat-related health problems, NDTV reported. India averages five to six heat waves a year in its northern parts between March and June and sometimes as late as July, according to the World Health Organization.

A study by Cambridge University researchers found that killer heat waves fueled by climate change in 2022 have made nearly 90% of Indians more vulnerable to public health issues, food shortages and an increased risk of death.