Following the reported deaths of two individuals suspected to have succumbed to heatstroke in Malappuram and Kozhikode, the Kerala government swiftly responded by implementing various measures to address the prevailing heatwave conditions. In a high-level meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority declared a holiday for educational institutions, including professional colleges, until May 6 to ensure the safety of students and staff amid the extreme weather.
Additionally, another high-level meeting attended by Power Minister K Krishnankutty and Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) management decided against implementing load shedding despite the power crisis. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued heatwave alerts for several districts including Alappuzha, Palakkad, Thrissur, and Kozhikode for the following day, with a warm night warning issued for Alappuzha. Forecasted maximum temperatures for various districts ranged from 37 to 40 degrees Celsius.
The severity of the heatwave was evident as Palakkad recorded the highest maximum temperature of 40.4 degrees Celsius, while Kozhikode city reported temperatures 4.6 degrees Celsius above the normal. The victims of the suspected heatstroke were Muhammad Haneefa, 63, from Malappuram, who passed away while receiving treatment at Kozhikode Medical College Hospital, and Bijesh, a 41-year-old painter from Kozhikode, who died at his worksite due to suspected heatstroke. Preliminary assessments suggested dehydration as the likely cause of death for Haneefa, emphasizing the urgent need for preventive measures against heat-related illnesses.
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