Severe heat claims 2 lives on polling day

Two persons including a Booth level officer who was deployed at Mongolkot in Burdwan died after suffering heat stroke on Thursday.

BLO, Rabindra Nath Ghosh who was assigned to collect information regarding the queue at the polling booths suffered a heat stroke. He was declared dead after being taken to the hospital. In another incident a middle aged person Sundar Lal, a sweeper in Railway died after he suffered a heat stroke in Howrah. 

Police said that the victim a resident of Tetulia area in Howrah started off on his bicycle and he was going to join his duty. 

On his way to office near East West Bypass he fell from the bicycle. Local people found Lal lying in an unconscious state. He was taken to Howrah Zilla hospital where he was declared brought dead.

Meanwhile, braving scorching sun people were seen queuing up in front of polling stations from the morning. Polling booths were nearly empty because of excessive heat. 

However, again people poured out in great numbers after 3.30 pm. Drinking water arrangements were made near the polling stations. The roads within the city were empty. 

Children were seen playing cricket on the roads. Many of the city dwellers on Thursday enjoyed the day with family members. The temperature in the city dropped on Thursday. 

The MeT office predicted that the temperature will further go up and heatwave is likely to prevail within the city and its adjoining areas. 

The humidity added to the people’s discomfort. Severe heatwave was blowing in some parts of Purulia, Bankura, Birbhum, Burdwan and also in Midnapore, Nadia and Murshidabad districts. There is no possibility of rain in next couple of days in the city and adjoining districts as the MeT office predicted.

The MeT department has predicted that heatwave will prevail at many places over Jharkhand and Odisha with severe heatwave at a few places. Severe heatwave is very likely sweep through few places over Purulia, Bankura, Birbhum, Burdwan and likely over West Midnapore, Nadia and Murshidabad in next two days.