TNI Bureau: An India Today report has estimated that around 8,056 people died in Uttar Pradesh during a five-day spell of extreme heat, making it the worst-affected state in the country in terms of heatwave-related fatalities.

According to the report, the estimated death toll in Uttar Pradesh was more than double that of Bihar, where around 3,615 deaths were projected. Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan followed with estimated fatalities of 2,964 and 2,664 respectively.

Researchers warned that rising temperatures and climate change are increasing the frequency and intensity of heatwaves, posing a growing threat to human lives. The estimates were based on mortality data, population figures and historical climate patterns.