Young Man Dies of Suspected Heatstroke in Kannur

Kannur: A 37-year-old man from Pallippoyil in Kannur has died of suspected heatstroke, becoming one of the first casualties of the ongoing heat wave gripping Kerala. Sanalkumar fell ill while digging a well and passed away in the early hours of Thursday at around 3 am.

Sanalkumar had begun feeling unwell during the course of his work the previous day, with heatstroke suspected as the cause. He was first taken to a clinic in Pallippoyil and subsequently shifted to a private hospital in Kannur, where he died in the early hours of Thursday morning.

The incident comes as the state faces intense summer heat, with the IMD having issued heat wave warnings and Orange Alerts for Kollam, Thrissur, and Palakkad districts for today and tomorrow. Temperatures in these areas are expected to breach 40°C, with isolated locations facing the prospect of readings up to 5°C above normal.

Authorities have been urging outdoor workers — particularly those engaged in physically demanding tasks such as well-digging, construction, and agriculture — to avoid working during peak heat hours between 11 am and 3 pm, stay hydrated, and seek immediate medical attention if symptoms of heat exhaustion or heatstroke appear.