Four people died in 'unbearable' heat while travelling by train in northern India, which has been in the grip of a heatwave for two weeks, officials and passengers said Tuesday.

The four died Monday while travelling from Agra -- the city of the Taj Mahal -- to Coimbatore in the country's south.

"Heat seems to be a factor," Indian Railways spokesman Ajit Kumar Singh told AFP, "it is really unfortunate".

"When the train was approaching Jhansi, we got a call from the on-board staff that one of the passengers is unconscious," Singh said.

"We rushed medical staff to the station but they found that three of the passengers were already dead."

A fourth person died later in hospital.

Temperatures have hovered around 45 degrees Celsius (113 Fahrenheit) in Jhansi, in northern Uttar Pradesh state, in recent days.

Singh said the Kerala Express train had no technical problems, but the tourists were not in air-conditioned coaches.

A passenger who was a part of the group that boarded in Agra said the train was stiflingly hot.

"Shortly after we left Agra, the heat became unbearable and some people started complaining of breathing problems and uneasiness," the passenger was quoted as saying by News18 television.

"Before we could get some help, they collapsed."

One of the dead was 81 years old, the channel said.

Much of India has been sweltering in temperatures that have risen above 50 degrees Celsius (122 Fahrenheit) in northern Rajasthan state. A number of deaths from heatstroke have been reported.

Temperatures touched 50.3 degrees Celsius in the Rajasthan town of Churu recently, just below India's record of 51 degrees.

Heatstroke kills monkeys as India suffers in searing temperatures
New Delhi (AFP) June 8, 2019 - A troop of monkeys died from suspected heatstroke in India as scorching temperatures that have lasted more than a week take a mounting toll on humans and animals, media reports said Saturday.

Vast swathes of the country have been sweltering in temperatures that have risen to over 50 degrees Celsius (122 Fahrenheit) in Rajasthan state.

The monkeys died in Joshi Baba forest range in Madhya Pradesh state where the thermometer reached 46 Celsius (114 Fahrenheit).

District forest officer P. N. Mishra said the primates were believed to have fought with a rival troop over access to a water source.

"This is rare and strange as herbivores don't indulge in such conflicts," Mishra told NDTV network.

"We're probing all possibilities, including the possibility of conflict between groups of monkeys for water... which led to the death of 15 monkeys from a 30-35-strong group of monkeys living in the caves," Mishra was quoted as saying.

"Certain groups of monkeys which are large in number and dominate that particular part may have scared away the smaller group of monkeys from the water," Mishra said.

An autopsy said heatstroke likely caused the deaths.

Tigers have also been reported to be moving out of forest reserves into villages in search of water, causing alerts.

Temperatures touched 50.3 degrees Celsius in the Rajasthan town of Churu last week, just shy of India's record of 51 degrees.

The heatwave has exposed falling water levels in underground reservoirs and there have been a number of human deaths reported.

In Jharkhand state, a man stabbed six others after he was stopped from filling extra water barrels at a public tank, media reported Saturday.

On Friday, a 33-year-old man died after a similar fight in Tamil Nadu state.

The Indian peninsula has seen a drastic change in rainfall patterns over the past decade, marked by frequent droughts, floods and sudden storms.

In Uttar Pradesh state, 26 people died after freak dust storms, rain and lightning hit the northern plains on Thursday, officials said.

Kerala in the south got some respite from heat Saturday after annual monsoon rains arrived, more than a week later than expected.

Farmers across South Asia depend rely on the four-month monsoon season due to a lack of alternative sources of irrigation.

Related Links
Weather News at TerraDaily.com

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India heatwave temperatures pass 50 Celsius
New Delhi (AFP) June 1, 2019
Temperatures passed 50 degrees Celsius (122 Fahrenheit) in northern India as an unrelenting heatwave triggered warnings of water shortages and heatstroke. The thermometer hit 50.6 degrees Celsius (123 Fahrenheit) in the Rajasthan desert city of Churu on Saturday, the weather department said. All of Rajasthan suffered in severe heat with several cities hitting maximum temperatures above 47 Celsius. In May 2016, Phalodi in Rajasthan recorded India's highest-ever temperature of 51 Celsius (123. ... read more