Maharashtra: 11 dies of heatstroke at state event, several severely hospitalised

11 people died of a heatstroke and dehydration while scores of people were hospitalised in Navi Mumbai’s Kharghar Sundar during a state government event to present the ‘Maharashtra Bhushan Award’ for which Union Home Minister Amit Shah was also among attendees.

As per reports, the group was completely packed and there was no shed over the seating arrangements.

Taking to Twitter, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde expressed his regret and termed the incident ‘unfortunate.’ The Chief Minister further announced Rs. 5 lakh for families of all those who died.

As reported by Times of India, eight of the eleven people dead are women, mostly elderly. The casualty may rise as lot of people are reportedly critical but they are currently hospitalised.

Officials have informed that the timing of the outdoor event was against the heat action plan proposed for each district in the summer. For Thane, the observatory recorded a maximum temperature of 38 degrees Celsius on Sunday.