Maharashtra Bhushan Award ceremony turns deadly; 11 die, over 600 suffer heatstroke in Kharghar

NAVI MUMBAI: At least 11 people died and over 600 suffered heatstroke at the Kharghar venue for the Maharashtra Bhushan Award ceremony on Sunday afternoon, as lakhs of people were directly sitting under the scorching sun for hours.
Raigad district collector Yogesh Mhase told TOI that 11 people lost their lives.
However, the death toll may rise. Many had complained of dehydration and fainted on the ground causing a stampede-like situation.

Chief minister Eknath Shinde late on Sunday night said that 11 people had died while undergoing treatment for heatstroke at a Navi Mumbai hospital from among those who attended the Maharashtra Bhushan Award ceremony in Kharghar on Sunday afternoon.
Chief minister Eknath Shinde rushed to Navi Mumbai to meet victims at the MGM Hospital at Kamothe. Kharghar residents and activists flayed the poor arrangement and mismanagement.

The political statements claimed that the event was attended by 20 lakh people, however, according to police sources, the actual number of attendees is significantly lower.
NMMC hospital Troma Centre at Vashi in Navi Mumbai.
Lakhs of people from far-off Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and Gujarat have turned up at the venue ground in Kharghar. They were sitting under the sun for over six hours. Two tents collectively accommodating around 1,000 were reserved for VIPs, media, etc with separate entries.
One of the deceased, identified Jayashree Patil (54), of Mhasla taluka in Raigad district, suffered a heart attack on the ground.
An official said, “Over 600 suffered sun strokes. Security has been tightened at the hospitals and postmortem room at the sub-district hospital-Panvel”.
A Kharghar resident said, “The event arrangement was poor and mismanaged, with improper stay facilities. Some of them were on the ground for two days. During the hot Sunday afternoon, lakhs of people were under direct sunlight without any protection”.
Activist Rajeev Mishra said, “The deaths were caused due to the government’s mismanagement.”
Requesting anonymity, one of the doctors posted for medical care said, “About 30 of the victims were rushed to hospitals like – sub-district hospital, Panvel, NMMC and Fortis Hospital, Vashi, DY Patil Hospital, Nerul, MGM hospitals in Kamothe and Belapur. Tata Cancer unit in Kharghar. The victims had dehydration, chest pain, rise in blood sugar level, etc issues. Some were provided with ORS powder, and asked to stay in a cool and under shade or in an air-conditioned facility area".
CM announces Rs 5 lakh compensation for kin of deceased
CM Shinde announced Rs 5 lakh compensation for the kin of each deceased and free treatment for those admitted in hospitals.
“I met people who received treatment. They were the subject of my conversation, and I also instructed physicians. I instructed them to provide the best care possible. This incident is very regrettable. This hurts a lot. The event had attracted thousands of attendees and was running smoothly but at the end, this unfortunate incident happened,” CM Shinde said after visiting the patients at the Navi Mumbai hospital late Sunday night.
“My intention is to offer assistance to those currently undergoing medical treatment, without politicizing the situation. The transfer of patients to alternative medical facilities is being arranged, with the aid of a deputy municipal commissioner from the Panvel Municipal Corporation who will serve as the point of coordination for patients' relatives and provide them with regular updates. Among the fifty people admitted to hospitals, twenty-four are currently receiving treatment while others have been discharged following treatment. Both men and women are represented among the deceased and those receiving medical care, and they will receive treatment free of charge,” the chief minister said.