25 poll officials, 15 others die of heat in UP, Bihar

New Delhi, May 31

At least 40 heat-related deaths, 25 of them of staff deployed on Lok Sabha poll duty in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, were reported on Friday as heatwave conditions gripped a large swathe of the country.

According to officials, heat-related deaths were reported from Odisha (10), Bihar (8), Jharkhand (4) and Uttar Pradesh (1) on Thursday also. Rajasthan has reported at least five heat-related deaths so far.

Among the fatalities recorded on Friday, the maximum 17 were from UP, 14 from Bihar, five from Odisha and four from Jharkhand, where officials said more than 1,300 people are hospitalised with heatstroke conditions.

According to the India Meteorological Department, the Kanpur (IAF) weather station recorded the maximum temperature in the country at 48.2. Haryana’s Sirsa was the second hottest place at 47.8 degree Celsius. Delhi’s Ayanagar recorded the maximum temperature for the city at 47 degrees Celsius.

Overall, the IMD said heatwave to severe heatwave conditions prevailed over many parts of Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh; in some parts of Bihar, east Madhya Pradesh; in isolated pockets of Odisha, Jharkhand.

These conditions are likely to abate during the next two-three days, the India Meteorological Department said the prevailing heatwave.

Meanwhile, officials in Uttar Pradesh — where 13 seats including in Sonbhadra district and Mirzapur are going to polls on Saturday — said at least 15 election staff died after suspected heatstroke. (With PTI inputs)