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Tragedy marred an awards ceremony in India as 11 people died and hundreds were hospitalized for heatstroke.
After attending a massive outdoor award ceremony in western India, 11 people died from heatstroke and hundreds are in hospitals.
On Sunday, April 16, when the area's temperature climbed to a blistering 38C, the government-run ceremony, which was held in the western Maharashtra state, lasted from the early morning till the afternoon.
In Navi Mumbai, a city next to Mumbai, the financial capital of India, thousands of people came for the Maharashtra Bhushan Award ceremony to honor a well-known local social crusader.
Top politicians like India's home minister Amit Shah, Maharashtra's deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, and Maharashtra's chief minister Eknath Shinde were there.
VIPs were protected by two tents, while attendees of the event as a whole were left exposed to the heat and at risk.
According to news website The Wire, only politicians, government officials, and the media were served by the two tents at the big field.
The failure to take proper precautions against the heat turned out to be fatal.
When Mr. Shinde left the hospital where several of the attendees were admitted on Sunday, April 16, he informed reporters, "According to the briefing obtained from doctors, 7-8 individuals have died today, while 24 are being treated. "Sunstroke is the cause of this."
On Monday, April 17, there had been 11 fatalities, and "hundreds" of individuals had been admitted to hospitals for emergency care.
According to The Times of India, doctors worry that the death toll would increase because some of the hospitalized patients are reportedly suffering from significant heart problems.
The deputy chief minister stated that the government will pay for the treatment of individuals who are afflicted by heat-related disorders. The government has offered a compensation of Rs 500,000 (£5,000) to the families of those who perished.
Opposition party members criticized the state government run by the governing Bharatiya Janata Party for scheduling the event at the incorrect time and labeled it "negligent and careless behavior."
