Durgapur, April 26: Four persons, including a college student, died of sunstroke in Asansol and Durgapur today, taking the heat toll in the past two days to eight.

The mercury level in the two subdivisions soared to a scorching 43 degrees Celsius at 2.30 this afternoon.

Chandan Lohar, 22, a second-year BSc student of Sonamukhi College in Bankura, fell unconscious after reaching home in Sabarbhanga in Durgapur, 180km from Calcutta, on his motorcycle.

He was rushed to the Durgapur subdivisional hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival.

About 20km away, in Gopalmath, Mangala Bauri, 65, was walking back after a bath in a pond when she fainted. She was taken to a physician who declared her dead.

The third victim was Group D railway employee Manik Mukherjee.

The 48-year-old fell off his bicycle and dropped unconscious on National Highway 2. He was dead by the time he was taken to hospital.

Some villagers in Jamuria near Asansol found the body of an unidentified man, aged about 65, next to a dry pond.

“High temperature, drowsiness, fatigue and weakness are some of the symptoms of heatstroke, which can be fatal,” said Moloy Banerjee, the Asansol subdivisional hospital superintendent.

Subdivisional officer A.P. Roy today asked all government and private schools to hold classes between 7am and 10am from Monday.