In a recent incident, Kanpur city of Uttar Pradesh witnessed an increase in the average death toll due to the scorching heat. The heat waves stir a crisis in the city’s mortuaries where the flux of deceased bodies has never been so unbearably high.
In a video that recently surfaced on social media, the dead bodies are seen lying on the ground wrapped in shrouds, awaiting their final rites.
The inadequate infrastructure and resources to manage the deceased have further complicated the situation, resulting in overcrowded mortuaries and a slow pace of cremations and burials.
Over the past 48 hours, Kanpur has witnessed a staggering number of bodies being sent for post-mortem examinations, with 57 bodies handed over to the mortuary within the last 48 hours alone. The mandatory 72-hour retention period for the bodies has led to a space crunch at the mortuary, necessitating temporary storage of bodies in the open.
Pertinently, India on Friday, May 31, reported at least 40 suspected heat-related deaths, 25 of them of staff deployed on Lok Sabha poll duty in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, as heatwave conditions gripped a large swathe of the country.
Among the fatalities recorded on Friday, the maximum 17 were from Uttar Pradesh, 14 from Bihar, five from Odisha, and four from Jharkhand, where officials said more than 1,300 people are hospitalised with heatstroke conditions.
Meanwhile, officials in Uttar Pradesh where 13 seats including in Sonbhadra district and Mirzapur went for polls on Saturday, stated at least 15 election staff died after a suspected heatstroke.
As the cities grapple with this unprecedented challenge, residents are urged to take precautions to avoid heat-related illnesses by staying indoors, especially during the hottest part of the day.
Follow on Twitter | Posted by Sayima Ahmad | 
