2025 summer heatstroke deaths underreported: Study

ODISHA REPORTS THREE SUNSTROKE DEATHS, 348 CASES OF ILLNESS

- AGENCIES

At least three heatstroke deaths from Odisha were among the 84 recorded across India between February and July this year, according to a report released Friday.

‘The report, ‘Struck by Heat: A News Analysis of Heatstroke Deaths in India in 2025’ by nonprofit HeatWatch, said of the at least 2,287 cases of heat-related illness across the country during the period, 348 were from Odisha.

The report claimed that India’s true heat toll is being masked by diagnostic ‘blind spots’, weak enforcement of worker protections, and outdated heatwave alerts that fail to reflect the combined impact of temperature and humidity on human health.

In comparison, data obtained by PTI under the RTI Act showed that the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) reported 7,192 suspected cases of heatstroke and only 14 confirmed deaths between March 1 and June 24 this year.

The HeatWatch analysis, based on a systematic review of national and regional media reports in multiple languages, found that Maharashtra reported the highest number of deaths at 17, followed by Uttar Pradesh and Telangana with 15 each.