DHAKA, May 6 (Xinhua) -- At least 15 people have died from heat-aggravated conditions during a blistering heatwave in parts of Bangladesh over the past two weeks, the government confirmed Monday.
Three of them died in the 24 hours till 11:00 a.m. local time Monday, said the Health Emergency Operation Center and Control Room under the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
Officials said most of the deaths were reported in Magura district in the country's southwestern region, where the mercury rose to a record 43.8 degrees Celsius last week.
Most parts of Bangladesh are currently grappling with one of the most severe heatwaves in recent years.
To cope with the unbearable heat, the government kept schools, colleges, madrasas and technical education institutions across the South Asian country closed last week.
Experts said heatwaves would likely escalate in the coming years due to erratic rainfall and high temperatures, posing a threat to Bangladesh, one of the world's biggest victims of global warming. ■
