Extreme heat in India

Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan has to go to hospital

Shah Rukh Khan suffered a heat stroke and had to be taken to hospital.(Bild: AFP/APA/Punit PARANJPE )

In the face of a heat wave in India, Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan has suffered a heat stroke. He was admitted to a hospital on Wednesday, according to local media such as the PTI news agency and the Hindustan Times.

The 58-year-old actor had been watching a cricket match in the state of Gujarat with his children shortly beforehand, in which the Kolkata Knight Riders team, which he owns among others, had won.

Temperatures in the state and other parts of the country are currently reaching more than 45 degrees. Khan's condition was stable, according to news agency IANS on Thursday.

The 58-year-old actor had gone to watch a cricket match with his children in the state of Gujarat shortly before the heat stroke. He had to be taken to hospital afterwards.(Bild: AFP/APA/Punit PARANJPE)

Biggest election in the world in India
According to experts, extreme heat is also fueled by climate change. In addition to cricket matches, the world's largest election is currently taking place in such high temperatures. Around 970 million eligible voters are being called to cast their ballots in more than one million polling stations to determine the composition of the lower house of parliament.

Polls predict a victory for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Hindu nationalist party BJP. Due to the size of the country - India is the most populous country in the world with 1.4 billion inhabitants - the election will last six weeks and take place in seven phases.