New Delhi, April 24: The summer heat claimed the lives of five more persons on Saturday, taking the toll this season across the country to 72 so far, even as the mercury dipped a bit at some places in the northern region.
The deaths were reported from Sundargarh, Balangir, Jagatsinghpur, Nabarangpur and Balsore districts of Orissa, where the western districts were on the boil with Sambalpur recording the highest temperature of 46 degree celsius.
It was also a scorching day at Hirakud and Talcher, where the mercury settled at 45.5 degrees.
Similar conditions prevailed in Jharkhand where Bokaro sizzled at 46.7 degrees.
Jamshedpur, Dhanbad and Palamau saw the mercury touch 44.5 degrees, 45.1 degrees and 44.6 degrees, the Met office said.
However, in the northern region a dip in the mercury brought slight respite to people.
In Punjab and Haryana, the high fell by up to four degrees at some places.
–PTI