Hyderabad, May 10: The heat wave blowing across Andhra Pradesh has claimed 174 people, including seven children, over the past six days.

The Telengana districts have recorded an average of 42°C. In Nizamabad, Ongole, Nalgonda and Machilipatnam, the temperature has been a degree higher. In Tirupati, the mercury has been hovering around 42.8°C.

Over 30 people died yesterday, with Khammam district accounting for nine deaths, Guntur seven, Nalgonda six and Warangal and Nellore five each.

Last Sunday, 29 people succumbed to the scorching sun and hot winds. Khammam accounted for 10 deaths.

Among the victims were farm labourers who had enrolled for the National Rural Guarantee Scheme programme and aspiring police constables who died during a preliminary test of a 5km run.

The state government has offered compensation to the families of the victims under the Apatbandhu insurance scheme for the rural poor.

The coastal districts also recorded unusual heat wave conditions and hot winds after unseasonal rains in the last week of March that wreaked havoc and destroyed ripe chilli and mango crops over thousands of acres.