The searing summer heat in many parts of India has claimed the lives of hundreds of people. Their deaths will be recorded as mere numbers. But the death of one particular man from the western state of Rajasthan will be forever etched in minds of this generation. No, he did not succumb to heat stroke or dehydration. He was killed by a camel he owned, in what is being seen as an act of retaliation by the animal for being left in the scorching sun.
Urja Ram, a resident of Mangta village in Barmer district of Rajasthan, had tied his camel in his field early morning to return later. But, on that fateful day, his house was flooded by guests, making him completely forget about his camel. By the time he realized that he had forgotten to untie his camel, it was too late. He reached the spot only to be greeted by the angry animal that attacked and killed him.
His neighbor and eye-witness, Deepa Ram told Sputnik, "Initially the camel followed as Urja Ram towed him with the rope. Suddenly, it took some reverse steps and pulled the rope so hard that his master went up in the air. When he hit the ground, the camel started biting him randomly. It bit of chunks of flesh from all over his body. Then, the animal bit Urja Ram by his neck and lifted and shook him violently until his neck was severed from his body while villagers watched in anguish."
Urja Ram's family is in a state of shock and fear but say they will not abandon the animal. The camel is widely used as a mode of transportation and for milk in Rajasthan's desert areas.
#indian #bsf Jawans roast papad, cook rice on hot sand https://t.co/V664aRH4Lf via @timesofindia
— alwrites (@alwrites) 21 мая 2016 г.
In the neighboring district Jaisalmer, a group of security personnel experimented with roasting papad (thin bread) on the sand. They posted pictures on social media of the papad that was completely roasted. They also claimed that they could cook rice in the same way.
BSF Jawans in Jaisalmer roasting papad, cooking rice on hot sand… pic.twitter.com/WWbSeVOiOG
— جے شرے رام (@amit_oldmonk) 21 мая 2016 г.
Rajasthan has broken a century-old record this year with temperatures rising as high as 51 degrees Celcius.
Meanwhile, in Gujarat's Valsad, people are keeping off the roads as they fear being stuck in the sea of molten tar. Yes, that's what the summer heat has done to their streets. Twitter is flooded with videos of people struggling to get their footwear out of the sticky tar that is flowing freely on the roads as a result of the extreme heat. The daytime temperature in Gujarat has also crossed 45 degrees Celcius.
Watch: Tar road melts in Gujarat, makes it difficult to walk (Video) via @indiacom https://t.co/bPAQMeSYsU
— Krister Honkonen (@KHonkonen) 23 мая 2016 г.