Bihar Heatwave: 10 Poll Personnel Among 14 Dead Due To Heatstroke Ahead Of LS Phase 7 Voting

According to a statement issued by the Disaster Management Department, the majority of the fatalities occurred in Bhojpur, where five election officials succumbed to heatstroke. 

Election duty official dead due to heatstroke in Bihar. ( Image Source :PTI )

New Delhi: Fourteen people, including 10 polling personnel, died due to heatstroke in Bihar in the last 24 hours, officials reported on Friday afternoon. According to a statement issued by the Disaster Management Department, the majority of the fatalities occurred in Bhojpur, where five election officials succumbed to heatstroke. Notably, three election officials died in Rohtas, while one each passed away in Kaimur and Aurangabad districts. The statement also noted that four other individuals died in various parts of the state. The process of granting ex-gratia payments to the families of the deceased has been initiated, reported news agency PTI.

Bihar is reeling under a scorching heatwave, with temperatures soaring above 44 degrees Celsius in several areas. On Thursday, Buxar recorded the highest temperature at 47.1 degrees Celsius. Due to these extreme conditions, all schools, coaching institutes, and anganwadi centers have been ordered to shut down until June 8.

 

 

In a post on X, the leader of the opposition Tejashwi Yadav said, "When government-run schools have already been closed because of pressure from the opposition, why are teachers being asked to come to schools in this intense heat wave conditions? What will teachers do when students themselves are not in school? Teachers must be given leave in this scorching heat".

बिहार में NDA सरकार की हठधर्मिता के कारण भीषण गर्मी में विद्यालय खोलने से छात्र-छात्राओं और शिक्षकों की मौत की खबर है।

विपक्ष के दबाव में एक दिन पहले स्कूल बंद किए लेकिन फिर भी इस जानलेवा गर्मी में शिक्षकों को स्कूल आने के कड़े निर्देश दिए गए है। जब छात्र ही स्कूल में नहीं…

— Tejashwi Yadav (@yadavtejashwi) May 31, 2024

Bihar Scorched By Heatwave 

Intense heatwave conditions gripped Bihar with temperatures surpassing 44 degrees Celsius in multiple areas. On Thursday, eight individuals lost their lives across Arwal, Buxar, Rohtas, and Begusarai districts, suspected to be due to the scorching weather.

The state disaster management department, while confirming the deaths, highlighted the challenge in determining the exact cause as most families declined post-mortem examinations.

With autopsy reports pending, authorities refrained from definitive statements on the cause of death. Buxar marked the highest temperature at 47.1 degrees Celsius.

Elections to the 40 Lok Sabha seats were being held over seven phases, with polling in eight seats scheduled on Saturday.