Maharashtra: Death toll at Award event rises to 12 due to heat stroke

One more patient undergoing treatment after suffering from sunstroke at an award function in Navi Mumbai has died, officials said. With this, the death toll in the incident has gone up to 12.

A 55-year-old man from Kalyan, who was critical, died late night. Two more persons are battling for life, a senior doctor at a civic-run hospital in Vashi said.

Earlier on Sunday, at least 11 people died due to sunstroke as the Maharashtra Bhushan award function, attended by lakhs, was held in an open ground in Kharghar area of Maharashtra's Raigad district. One more person died late night, taking the toll to 12. The deceased included eight women and four men.
 
An official release from Navi Mumbai police said during the function when children and women lay on roads seeking drinking water, a senior police inspector from Kharghar along with his team carried water for them.

Since three days, police personnel, including women, from across the state were deployed in and around the venue and they remained there even after the event despite the scorching sun, it said.

Navi Mumbai Police Commissioner Milind Bharambhe was on the ground throughout along with a number of senior officials. There was no no stampede, the release said. Many women collapsed due to excessive heat and the policemen on duty drove them on motorbikes through the crowd to medical assistance centres for first aid and saved their lives, the release said.