At least eight people have died, while 50 were taken to the hospital after over 120 people suffered from heat-related health issues due to sun exposure on Sunday during the Maharashtra Bhushan award ceremony in Navi Mumbai’s Kharghar.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde visited the MGM hospital where the patients are being treated. The chief minister has announced compensation of Rs five lakh to the kin of those deceased, sources told News18.
Twenty-four people are currently being treated at the hospital.
पद्म श्री डॉ आप्पासाहेब धर्माधिकारी जी 30वर्षांपासून आदिवासी वस्त्यांमध्ये तसेच अनेक भागात आरोग्य, स्वच्छता, व्यसनमुक्ती यासाठी अतुलनीय कार्य करत आहेत.मानवसेवेसाठी आपले संपूर्ण आयुष्य समर्पित करणाऱ्या या समाजसेवकाला आज ‘महाराष्ट्र भूषण-2022’ पुरस्कार देण्याचा बहुमान मला मिळाला. pic.twitter.com/4EEBhGMZu2
— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) April 16, 2023
Social activist Dattatreya Narayan alias Appasaheb Dharmadhikari was given the Maharashtra Bhushan award and lakhs of his followers attended the grand event.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah presented the award, instituted by the Maharashtra government, to Dharmadhikari.
The event, for which people had started gathering since morning, began around 11.30 am and went on till around 1 pm.
The seating arrangement for the attendees was also made open without any shed.
“A total of 123 people complained of heat-related health ailments, like dehydration during the event. They were immediately referred to the 30 medical booths set up at the venue. Thirteen of the patients, who needed further treatment, were shifted to different private hospitals and the condition of one of them is serious," a revenue department official, who was on duty at the venue, said.
“A total of 30 doctors were deployed at the medical booths that had intensive care unit (ICU) facilities to treat people at the venue," she said, news agency PTI reported.
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis termed the deaths as “ unfortunate and painful,” and expressed his condolences to the families of the deceased.
In a Tweet, Fadnavis said, “It is very unfortunate and painful that some members participating in the Maharashtra Bhushan award ceremony this morning died due to heatstroke. offer my heartfelt tributes to these seekers. We share in the grief of their families. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has announced to provide Rs 5 lakh assistance to the families of the deceased through the state government.”
आज सकाळी ज्येष्ठ निरुपणकार आप्पासाहेब धर्माधिकारी यांना महाराष्ट्र भूषण पुरस्कार प्रदान सोहोळ्यात सहभागी काही श्रीसदस्यांचे उष्माघातामुळे मृत्यू झाल्याची घटना अतिशय दुर्दैवी आणि वेदनादायी आहे.मी या साधकांना भावपूर्ण श्रद्धांजली अर्पण करतो. त्यांच्या कुटुंबियांच्या दुःखात आम्ही…— Devendra Fadnavis (@Dev_Fadnavis) April 16, 2023
He also said that the cost of treatment for those undergoing treatment will be borne by the state government. “The Chief Minister himself visited the hospital and took information and gave appropriate instructions to the doctors. The administration is maintaining complete coordination and we are in constant contact with the senior officers,” Fadnavis added.
The NCP has reacted to this, with Suraj Chavan saying that innocent people have died due to “negligence of the government."
महाराष्ट्र भूषण पुरस्कार सोहळा उन्हामध्ये ठेऊन सरकारच्या निष्काळजीपणामुळे काही निष्पाप लोकांचा मृत्यू झाल्याचे व अनेक लोक गंभीर असल्याचे समजते.हा सरकारने केलेला मनुष्यवध आहे.यासाठी सरकारवर सदोष मनुष्यवधाचा गुन्हा दाखल झाला पाहिजे.— Suraj Chavan (सूरज चव्हाण) (@surajvchavan) April 16, 2023
In a Tweet in Hindu, Chavan said, “by keeping the Maharashtra Bhushan award ceremony in the sun, it is believed that some innocent people have died and many people have died due to the negligence of the government. This is a case of culpable homicide by the government."
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