At least 33 Indian election workers died in hot weather on the final day of national elections Saturday in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh alone, an election official said, as parts of India experienced a series of extraordinary heat waves.
Many deaths have been reported in India following this intense heatwave, with temperatures above 45 degrees. But the death of several dozen city government officials in one day is a huge toll.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the temperature in Jhansi in Uttar Pradesh reached 46.9 degrees.
Results are expected on Tuesday
In another incident, in the city of Ballia in the same state, a man queuing to vote lost consciousness and died, said Navdeep Rinwa, chief election officer in Uttar Pradesh state. “The voter was transported to a health facility, where he was declared dead on arrival,” it added.
“Financial compensation of $18,000 will be paid to the family of the deceased,” Navdeep Rinwa said this Sunday.
The fact remains that Hindu nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi appears to be on track to win a third term, according to several polls emerging from the poll. The results will be announced officially on Tuesday.
