Korba (Chhattisgarh) | Nearly 200 bats have been found dead at a village in Chhattisgarh's Korba district, with officials suspecting heatwave conditions as the cause.

Thousands of bats had taken shelter in trees along the Naukonia pond in Pali nagar panchayat.

On Saturday, locals reported that a large number of bats were lying dead on the ground, while many were seen hanging lifeless from trees, following which forest personnel rushed to the spot, Katghora Divisional Forest Officer Kumar Nishant said on Sunday.

Around 200 bats have died, and prima facie it appears that they succumbed to heatstroke, the official said. The veterinary department has collected samples of the carcasses to ascertain the exact cause of death, he added.

The Korba region recorded temperatures between 42 and 44 degrees Celsius on Saturday, as per the weather department.

Every year, a large number of bats arrive in Pali during February and March and settle around the pond area. This year, their population was significantly higher, officials said.

The Meteorological Centre in Raipur on Saturday said heatwave conditions are likely to prevail in isolated pockets of central Chhattisgarh, covering Bilaspur (which includes Korba), Raipur and Durg divisions, over the next five days.

Rajnandgaon recorded the highest maximum temperature in the state at 46 degrees Celsius on Saturday, while the state capital Raipur logged 44.4 deg Celsius, the weather office said.