The ongoing heatwave in Himachal Pradesh’s Sirmaur district, persisting for the past week, has claimed another life. During the final rehearsal for the Lok Sabha elections at Nahan government college, a state government employee collapsed due to the intense heat.
The employee was immediately shifted to Dr YS Parmar Medical College at Nahan where doctors diagnosed him with a heatstroke. He was referred to PGI-Chandigarh for further treatment. The employee, identified as Arvind, aged around 52, worked in the Agriculture Department and was a resident of the Rajgarh subdivision, a region known for its cooler climate. Arvind succumbed to his condition during treatment at PGI-Chandigarh a few hours later.
The incident follows a similar tragedy just a week ago, where a home guard jawan, en route from Nahan to Haryana for election duty, died of a heart attack at a ground in Nahan.
Salim Azam, SDM and assistant election officer of Nahan, confirmed the incident, stating that Arvind fell unconscious during the rehearsal and was immediately sent to the medical college. Azam said Arvind was on duty as an Assistant Public Relations Officer.
It is noteworthy that the District Election Officer had previously exempted certain employees from duty due to health concerns, issuing a separate list for this purpose. Despite this, Arvind, who reportedly had a pre-existing heart condition and was on medication, was on duty.
