New Delhi, April 21 (RHC)-- Indian officials say more than 100 people have lost their lives as a result of scorching early-summer temperatures that have forced the closure of schools and cessation of outdoor work.  Authorities said on Thursday that 45 people died in the southern state of Telangana due to heatstroke and another 17 lost their lives in Andhra Pradesh.  Some 43 deaths were also reported in the eastern state of Odisha on the Bay of Bengal.

Y.K. Reddy, a director at the Indian Meteorological Department, said Telangana has recorded its highest April temperatures since 2006.  Reddy further warned that the death toll in Telangana is expected to rise, and meteorological officials have advised local residents to stay indoors.

Last week, the education department ordered the shutdown of schools in Telangana amid sizzling temperatures.  State officials in Odisha have also ordered schools to remain closed until next week and banned construction work.