India responsible for 70% of global air pollution deaths, finds Lancet Countdown report
New Delhi: The Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change 2025 study conducted by University College London in collaboration with the World Health Organization says that, India accounts for about 70% of all global air pollution-related deaths, while air pollution kills approximately 2.5 million people worldwide.
According to the report, as a result of anthropogenic air pollution around 1.72 million people die each year in India, which is a 38% increase since 2010, specifically those who are exposed to PM2.5.
The report attributed 44% of India’s air pollution-related deaths, around 752,000, to fossil fuel use. It also noted that coal alone accounts for 394,000 deaths, largely from emissions produced by power plants. Additionally, petrol used in road transport contributes to 269,000 deaths.
PM2.5 exposure due to wildfire-related, results in an average of 10,200 deaths per year, between 2020 and 2024, making it a 28% rise compared to the 2003-2012 period.
The report noted that household pollution continues to be a major concern, particularly in rural India and mentioned that in 2022, it has resulted in an average of 113 deaths per 100,000 people, with rural mortality (125) notably higher than urban (99). The economic cost of premature deaths from outdoor air pollution was estimated at USD 339.4 billion, equivalent to 9.5% of India’s GDP that year.
The report also points to worsening heat exposure. Indians faced 50% more heatwave days in 2024, enduring 366 additional hours of heat stress, which led to an average loss of 419 labour hours per person per year—a 124% increase compared to 1990–99. This loss in productivity has been estimated at USD 194 billion in income loss.
The area experiencing at least one month of extreme drought every year has increased by 138%, from 14.1% in 1951-60 to 2015-24. Rising temperatures and humidity have also accelerated disease transmission. Dengue reproduction rates doubling over seven decades and Vibrio infections increasing by 46% in coastal areas compared to the 1982-2010 baseline.
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8 children between ages of 1 and 14 dead after mass shooting in Louisiana, police say
Shreveport(US) (AP): A gunman in Louisiana killed eight children in shootings at two different homes early Sunday in the nation's deadliest mass shooting in more than two years, police in Shreveport said.
The victims ranged in age from one to about 14 years old, said Shreveport police spokesperson Chris Bordelon. A total of 10 were shot and some of the children were related to the suspect, Bordelon said.
The gunman later died after a chase with officers who fired at the suspect, Bordelon said. The suspect stole a car while leaving the scene of the shootings and was followed by police, according to Bordelon.
Police did not release the name of the suspect but did say he was an adult male. The shootings were the result of a “domestic disturbance,” Bordelon said.
Officials said they were still gathering details at the crime scenes south of downtown Shreveport — the two homes and a third location.
“This is an extensive scene unlike anything most of us have ever seen,” he said.
It was the deadliest mass shooting in the US since eight people were killed in a Chicago suburb in January 2024, according to a database maintained by The Associated Press and USA Today in partnership with Northeastern University.
At a news conference outside the residence where one of the shootings occurred, officials appeared stunned, requesting patience and prayers from the community as they sorted through multiple crime scenes.
“I just don't know what to say, my heart is just taken aback,” Shreveport Police Chief Wayne Smith said. “I cannot begin to imagine how such an event could occur.”
“This is a tragic situation — maybe the worst tragic situation we've ever had,” said Tom Arceneaux, mayor of the city in northwestern Louisiana with about 180,000 residents. “It's a terrible morning.”
Louisiana State Police say their detectives have been asked by Shreveport police to investigate. In a statement, state police say no officers were harmed in the shooting that involved an officer after a police pursuit into Bossier City on Sunday morning.
State police are asking anyone with pictures, video or information to share it with state police detectives.
Louisiana Gov Jeff Landry said in a statement that he and his wife were heartbroken. “We're deeply grateful to the law enforcement officers and first responders working tirelessly on the scene,” he added.
