14, including 10 on poll duty, dead as Bihar battles heatwave

Fourteen people, including 10 polling personnel, have died due to heatstroke in Bihar in the last 24 hours, officials said on Friday afternoon.

According to a statement issued by the state’s disaster management department (DMD), most of the fatalities were reported from Bhojpur, where five officials on election duty died of heatstroke.

“As per information received so far, a total of 14 persons... succumbed to death due to heat stroke on Thursday,” the statement said.

“Among the dead are five polling personnel from Bhojpur district, three from Rohtas, one from Kaimur district and one from Aurangabad district,” it said.

The process of granting ex-gratia to the families of the deceased has been initiated, said the statement.

The state is reeling under sizzling heat as the mercury crossed 44 degrees Celsius at several places. On Thursday, Buxar was the hottest at 47.1 degrees Celsius.

Due to the heatwave conditions, all schools, coaching institutes and anganwadi centres have been shut till June 8.

According to news agency ANI, five people died after suffering heatstroke at a hospital in Aurangabad district. “Five people admitted to the hospital died. We will get to know the exact reason when we get the autopsy report,” the agency quoted district magistrate Shrikant Shastri as saying.

Alok Ranjan Ghosh, additional chief electoral officer, Bihar, said the Election Commission has directed district magistrates (DMs) to provide ORS sachets to police and polling personnel.

In view of the severe heatwave conditions, chief minister Nitish Kumar on Friday directed all DMs to ensure water tankers are deployed in adequate numbers and all government health centres and hospitals have proper facilities to deal with the situation, including uninterrupted power supply.

Patna DM Shirsat Kapil Ashok said, “Medical teams have been deployed at various places, given the heatwave conditions.”

Polling in Patna is due on June 1, the last phase of parliamentary elections.

In a post on X, leader of opposition Tejashwi Yadav said, “When government-run schools have already been closed because of pressure from the opposition, why are teachers being asked to come to schools in this intense heatwave conditions? What will teachers do when students themselves are not in school? Teachers must be given leave in this scorching heat.”