Kanpur, B’khand see alarming rise in heat-related deaths
The large number of bodies being sent for autopsy has caused a space constraint at the mortuary, which received 57 bodies in the past 48 hours. By Saturday evening, autopsies were performed on 14 bodies, with seven more scheduled for the night.
Kanpur The relentless heatwave in Kanpur and Bundelkhand has led to a worrying rise in suspected heat-related deaths. In the past 48 hours, Kanpur alone has sent 57 bodies for post-mortem examination, while Bundelkhand’s seven districts have reported 103 suspected deaths due to heat wave.
Additional commissioner of police, law and order, Harish Chander said, “ The bodies are being found all over the city and 27 were sent for post mortem examination today. We do not know how these people died; post-mortem examination is the only way to determine the real cause of death.”
“The bodies are mandatorily needed to be kept for 72 hours. The autopsy reports that have come so far rule out murder or accident in these deaths,” he added.
The large number of bodies has caused a space constraint at the mortuary, which received 57 bodies in the past 48 hours. By Saturday evening, autopsies were performed on 14 bodies, with seven more scheduled for the night.
The increased workload has taken a toll on medical staff. Dr. Abhishek Baghmare, one of the five doctors conducting autopsies, collapsed while working. Dr. Navneet Chowdhury, the in-charge of the post-mortem house, also experienced a deterioration in his condition.
Chief medical officer Alok Ranjan confirmed that the number of bodies had risen significantly. To manage the situation, a room had been cleared to store bodies temporarily, as currently, they were lying in the open. The health department has requested additional space from the district administration and increased the number of doctors in the mortuary to eight.
In Mahoba, authorities are taking proactive measures by advising residents to stay indoors from 8 am to 4-5 pm. Village watchmen and gram panchayat members are using drums and cymbals to make announcements, urging people to avoid the deadly heat.
Local health officials continue to monitor the situation closely, urging residents to take all necessary precautions during this extreme weather.
In Bundelkhand, the maximum number of deaths ( 30) were reported in Mahoba and 21 in Hamirpur. Banda reported 22 deaths followed by Chitrakoot (13). Jalaun, Jhansi and Lalitpur reported 17 deaths among them.
In Jhansi, three truck drivers who were admitted to hospital after collapsing on the highway, died during treatment. Chief medical superintendent of Banda district hospital Dr RK Gupta said the number of patients of diarrhoea, dehydration and fever had increased significantly. The hospital had to arrange mattresses to accomodate the patients.
In Hamirpur, 21 bodies were sent for autopsy. Jagrani Srivastava, 77, died due to heat wave, said her grandson Kuldeep in Chandaukhi village. Kuldeep said after coming inside the house around 1 pm she went down with high fever. She was admitted to the hospital where she passed away.