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".