DHAKA, June 7: Four people have died of heat exhaustion and dozens of others are ill at a camp for Pakistanis stranded in Bangladesh after the authorities cut off electricity there, a camp leader said on Tuesday. Hundreds of people staged a hunger fast in the camp over the power cuts.

The power ministry says the electricity bill for the camp has not been paid for years, prompting their decision to cut off the supply. Both parties dispute who is responsible for the cost.

“We are baking in extreme summer heat in our box-like shanties because the authorities cut off electricity on Friday,” said Nasim Khan, the leader of the community.

“Four camp inmates have died over past three days due to the suffocating heat that has made dozens of men, women and children sick.”

Nasim Khan said authorities had also threatened to disrupt water supplies to the camps, following the suspension of food rations and electricity.—Reuters