Elderly woman died of sunstroke in Palakkad

KOCHI: A 90-year-old woman died of sunstroke at Elapully in Palakkad. The deceased has been identified as Lakshmi of Ennapadam in Thuvarakkad.
According to Santhosh V, a ward member, the elderly woman used to visit her agricultural land one km away from her home, regularly. "She went to the place on Saturday as well. She was found lying in a canal on Saturday evening.It is suspected that she fell into the canal while returning home as a coconut was in her hand. People soon shifted her to the district hospital where she was brought dead. The body was kept in the mortuary. On Sunday morning, burns were found all over her body. Doctors said in the morning that the elderly woman might have died of sunstroke. Doctors who conducted the autopsy also told the police," he said.
Meanwhile, this is the second sunstroke causality being reported in the scorching summer in Palakkad this year. An elderly man who was lying in an open place under scorching heat died of sunstroke last week in the district. He lay on the ground after drinking alcohol.
Health officials in the district also confirmed two deaths due to sunstroke.
A total of 222 heat incidents including two deaths were reported in Palakkad in one month. Of them, 171 cases are heat rash, 27 sun burns, 24 heat exhaustion and three dizziness, and three suspected heat strokes including two deaths, said a health official.