BHUBANESWAR: Thirty-three people, including election officials on duty, died of suspected heatstroke in India’s states of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Odisha on Friday, and the heatwave in the region is expected to continue until Saturday, authorities said.

India has been experiencing a blisteringly hot summer and a part of the capital Delhi recorded the country’s highest-ever temperature at 52.9°C this week, though that may be revised with the weather department checking the sensors of the weather station that registered the reading.

While temperatures in north-western and central India are expected to fall in the coming days, the prevailing heatwave over eastern India is likely to continue for two days, said India’s Meteorological Department (IMD), which declares a heatwave when the temperature is 4.5°C to 6.4°C higher than normal.

Fourteen people died in Bihar on Thursday, officials said, including 10 people involved in organising the seven-phase national elections that are currently underway. Many election officials are usually required to stand on duty all day, many times outdoors.

Parts of Bihar are voting in the final round of polling on Saturday.

In Uttar Pradesh, nine election personnel, including security persons, died on Friday, government officials said.

“They had high-grade fever when they were brought in. It could be because of heatstroke as well. We are currently treating at least 23 people brought in from election duty,” RB Kamal, principal of the medical college where the personnel are being treated, told reporters.

The world’s largest election and its gruelling campaign have been hit by record temperatures in the summer. The last phase of voting is scheduled to be held on Saturday and votes will be counted on Tuesday.

Ten deaths were reported from the government hospital in Odisha’s Rourkela region on Thursday, authorities said, prompting the Odisha government to advise against outdoor activities between 11:00am and 3:00pm local time when temperatures peak.

Three people died of suspected heatstroke in Jharkhand state, neighbouring Bihar, local media reported.

Published in Dawn, June 1st, 2024