Over 30, including 21 officials on poll duty, dead in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar amid heatwave

Over 30 persons, including 21 officials who were on election duty, died in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar in the past 48 hours amid severe heat in the region.

Eighteen deaths were reported from Bihar, while 13 fatalities took place in Uttar Pradesh.

In Bihar, eight poll personnel were among the 18 who died due to heat-related illnesses in the past 48 hours, The Indian Express reported on Friday.

Eleven deaths due to ailments caused by the heat were reported from the Rohtas district and six were recorded from Bhojpur, the State Emergency Operation Centre said. One death was reported from the Buxar district.

Five persons among those who died in Rohtas were deployed for the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, as were two in Bhojpur. The person who died in Buxar was also on poll duty.

Polling is set to take place in eight out of the 40 parliamentary seats in the state on Saturday in the last phase of the election.

Bihar has been grappling with heatwave conditions over the past few days. Temperatures crossed 44 degree Celsius in many parts of the state on Thursday.

On Wednesday, the state government ordered schools, coaching institutes and anganwadi centres to be closed until June 8. The announcement came amid reports of several students at schools in the Sheikhpura, Begusarai,...

Read more