Amid a severe heatwave, 13 personnel on election duty in Mirzapur died due to high fever and high blood pressure. The deceased include nine home guards and four officials from the district administration.
Dr. Raj Bahadur Kamal, principal of Maa Vindhyavasini Autonomous State Medical College, stated that the exact cause of death is still being investigated.
Home Guards Commandant B.K. Singh reported that 23 others are currently hospitalized. Among them are one Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) jawan, one fire service personnel, and one civil police officer.
Superintendent of Police Abhinandan announced on X that Lok Sabha elections will be held in Mirzapur on June 1. Polling parties were dispatched, during which six home guards died. The deceased include two from Gonda, one from Prayagraj, one from Basti, one from Kaushambi, and one from Mirzapur.
Commandant Singh visited the hospital to check on the admitted jawans and offer comfort. He noted that the intense heat was unbearable for the personnel, leading to several deaths within an hour to an hour and a half. He added that two of the deceased home guards from Mirzapur were on law and order duty, not poll duty.
Singh mentioned that he personally administered ORS fluids to the jawans in the camp, but the extreme heat persisted.
Reacting to the tragedy, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav demanded that the government announce a compensation of Rs 5 crore for each victim’s family. He also called for the best medical treatment for those who fell ill due to the heat.
The Commissioner and DIG also visited the hospital to check on the health of the hospitalized home guards. The incident highlights the severe impact of the ongoing heatwave on election personnel in the region.
Also read: Kashmir’s Startup scene gets boost as Prof Sunil Handa mentors youth
