In a tragic incident in Mirzapur, Uttar Pradesh, 13 personnel on election duty have died due to high fever and high blood pressure amid extreme heatwave conditions. The deceased include nine home guards and four officials from the district administration. Dr. Raj Bahadur Kamal, principal of Maa Vindhyavasini Autonomous State Medical College, stated that the exact cause of death has yet to be determined.
Homeguards Commandant B.K. Singh reported that 23 people are currently hospitalized, including one Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) jawan, one from the fire services, and one from the civil police. Mirzapur Superintendent of Police Abhinandan confirmed in a video on X that six home guards had died, with two from the Gonda district, and one each from Prayagraj, Basti, Kaushambi, and Mirzapur.
The incident occurred as the polling parties were dispatched for the Lok Sabha elections scheduled for June 1. Commandant Singh, seen comforting the admitted personnel, noted that the heat was unbearable, causing rapid health deterioration among the jawans within an hour to an hour and a half.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav called for the government to provide Rs 5 crore compensation to each victim's family and ensure the best treatment for those who fell ill due to the heat. The Commissioner and DIG have also visited the hospital to check on the home guards.
Additionally, three election duty personnel in Sonbhadra district died from a suspected heatstroke. Both Mirzapur and Sonbhadra will be voting in the last phase of the Lok Sabha elections on June 1.
