Five people died due to heat stroke in Bihar’s Bhojpur district, officials said on Monday.?The post-mortem examination of the bodies confirmed heat stroke as the cause of death, the Disaster Management Department said in a statement.

“Two more deaths have taken place in certain parts of the district, but their post-mortem examination reports are awaited,” it said. The mercury crossed the 43-degree Celsius mark or more at several places in the state on Monday, with Aurangabad recording the highest maximum temperature of 44.7 degrees Celsius.

The DMD has also asked districts across the state to report any death that may have taken place because of the searing heat.?

“The entire state is currently in the grip of a scorching heat wave. The situation is being monitored by the DMD. We have also advised the authorities to monitor the situation in their respective districts,” Bihar Disaster Management Minister Shahnawaz Alam said.