Thirty-three poll workers died in 24 hours due to heatwave in India

Temperatures have exceeded 45°C in the country, which has been suffering a succession of heat waves for several weeks.

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A man in the streets of Amritsar, May 10, 2024 in India.  (NARINDER NANU / AFP)

At least thirty-three Indian election officials died due to the heat on the last day of national elections, Saturday June 1 in the state of Uttar Pradesh (north of the country) alone, an electoral official said. This comes as part of India is experiencing a succession of exceptional heat waves.

Many deaths have been reported in the country following these intense heat waves, with temperatures above 45°C. But the death of several dozen agents in a single day represents a particularly high toll. In another incident, in Ballia, in the same state, a man queuing to vote lost consciousness and died.

According to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), temperatures in Jhansi in the state of Uttar Pradesh reached 46.9°C. “Financial compensation of 1.5 million rupees [16 500 euros] swill be paid to the families of the deceased”, Navdeep Rinwa, chief electoral officer in the state, said on Sunday.


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