Global Courant 2023-04-17 15:34:22
An estimated one million people waited in the sun for hours at the ceremony near Mumbai.
Eleven people have died of heatstroke in India after an estimated one million spectators waited for hours in the sun at a government-sponsored awards show, officials said.
About 50 people were hospitalized and 600 others fell ill during the event near the western city of Mumbai on Sunday, when temperatures reached nearly 38 degrees Celsius (100 Fahrenheit) with high humidity, local media reported.
“Unfortunately, 11 of them died during treatment,” Eknath Shinde, chief minister of Maharashtra state, of which Mumbai is the capital, wrote on Twitter.
Shinde’s office described the incident as “sad and distressing” and promised compensation for the victims’ relatives.
Senior government officials attended the ceremony, including federal interior minister Amit Shah, who praised the crowd for waiting so long in the sun.
The opposition Congress party accused the government of negligence (Reuters)
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) — which also rules Maharashtra — said about one million people attended the event held to present an award to a famous social activist, the Indian Express newspaper reported Monday.
The opposition Congress party accused the government of negligence and said it should face criminal charges.
Heat waves have killed more than 6,500 people in India since 2010, and last year saw record temperatures in several cities across the country.
According to scientists, the hot spells are getting harder and more frequent in South Asia, spurred by climate change.
Authorities in the eastern state of West Bengal have announced that all schools, colleges and universities will be closed for a week from Monday due to the heat, local media reported.
Last year, India ran out of coal, the main source of electricity in the country of 1.4 billion people, as demand for electricity peaked in the heat.
Many parts of India depend on trains to supply water during the summer. Scientists also believe that the annual monsoon rainy season is becoming more erratic and powerful, causing more flooding.
