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In Photos: India's Deadly Heat Wave

Nearly 2,000 people have died as high temperatures have led to water shortages, melted roadways, dehydration, and heat stroke.
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Photo par Jagadeesh Nv/EPA/EPA

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India's heat wave has killed nearly 2,000 people, according to the Associated Press. For the past week, high temperatures have led to water shortages, melted roadways, dehydration, and heat stroke.

The heat wave is the second deadliest in Indian history and, globally, the fifth most lethal on record, according to statistics from the International Disaster Database.

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Temperatures have approached 122 degrees Fahrenheit (50 Celsius) in some areas. Hospitals are flooded with heatstroke victims, especially in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. Laborers are especially at risk.

Wealthier residents have managed to purchase air conditioners. Widespread power cuts, however, are hindering people from battling the heat. The government is unable to guarantee more than eight hours of electricity a day, and most households receive less than four hours in the summer.

Showers and thunderstorms on Saturday brought some relief, according to the AP, but forecasters predict prolonged drought conditions for the country.

A man plunges into a river to beat the heat in the southern state of Karnataka. (Photo by Jagadeesh Nv/EPA) 

Indian workers prepare blocks of ice for sale in New Delhi. (Photo by Rajat Gupta/EPA)

Asphalt in New Delhi is melting due to the high temperatures. (Photo by Haish Tyagi/EPA)

A man gets medical treatment in Jai Prakash Narayan hospital after suffering sunstroke and severe dehydration in Bhopal Madhya Pradesh. (Photo by Sanjeev Gupta/EPA)

Indian workers rest at the Sealdha railway station in Calcutta. (Photo by Piyal Adikary/EPA)

An air conditioning vendor eats ice cream as he waits for customers in Ahmedabad. (Photo by Divyakant Solanki/EPA)

A groom drinks water to cool off from the heat. (Photo by Divyakant Solanki/EPA)

An elephant carries bunches of grass through the Yamuna River in New Delhi. (Photo by Harish Tyagi/EPA)

An Indian farmer surveys his dried up land in Karnataka. (Photo by Jagadeesh Nv/EPA)

Indian youths refresh themselves on a hot afternoon in Ahmedabad. (Photo by Divyakant Solanki/EPA)

An Indian rickshaw driver rests while the temperature reaches 98 degrees Fahrenheit in Calcutta. (Photo by Piyal Adhikary/EPA)

Related: India's deadly heat wave could be a glimpse of things to come

Tagged:asia & pacificEnvironmentExtreme weatherHeat WaveIndia
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