Accident during Maharashtra Bhushan program; Heat wave kills 11, 20 hospitalized
A major accident took place during the ‘Maharashtra Bhushan Award ceremony’ held in Navi Mumbai on Sunday in Maharashtra. 11 people died due to scorching heat. State Chief Minister Eknath Shinde described these deaths as extremely unfortunate. He had said some time ago, ‘According to the information received from the doctors, seven- eight people died today, while about 24 are undergoing treatment. It is a case of exposure to strong sunlight. Around 50 people were admitted to a hospital in Navi Mumbai, he said. Of these, 24 are still admitted, while the rest were discharged after first aid.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah was present during the day to present the award to Appasaheb Dharmadhikari at an open ground in Kharghar near Mumbai city. The weather station closest to the incident site recorded a maximum temperature of 38 °C. CM Shinde said that the next of kin of each deceased would be given a compensation of Rs.5 lakh each. Free treatment will be provided to those hospitalized due to the incident, he said. The state government will pay for his treatment from its treasury.
2 tents were set up at the program venue. It is noteworthy that lakhs of people had reached to participate in the program. Raigarh District Collector Yogesh Mhase gave detailed information about the incident. He told that so far 11 people have died. According to the report, many people complained of dehydration and fainting due to standing in the hot sun for a long time. Two tents were set up at the venue, which had seating arrangements for about 1,000 people. However, this arrangement proved inadequate for the crowd. It is being said that thousands of people stood in the sun for about 6 hours. One of the deceased, identified as Jayshree Patil (54), had suffered a heart attack.
The crowd started gathering since Saturday
According to reports, people started coming since morning to attend the programme. The program started at around 11.30 pm on Sunday and went on till one o’clock. It is being said that many of these people had reached here only on Saturday. Audio/ Video facilities were provided during the program for the convenience of the followers of Shri Member (Organization of Dharmadhikari). The revenue department official on duty at the venue said 123 people complained of heat- related health problems like dehydration during the event. He was immediately taken to the medical booth at the venue and treatment began. People suffering from heat stroke during the program are currently being taken to Tata Hospital in Kharghar.
