Maharashtra deaths: Autopsy reports confirm sunstroke as cause

The post-mortem of the Kharghar tragedy victims in Maharashtra has confirmed that they died due to sunstroke, a health official said on Friday.

At least 14 people died after suffering from sunstroke during the Maharashtra Bhushan award ceremony held in Kharghar area of Raigad district neighbouring Mumbai on Sunday.

"The autopsy was conducted on 12 out of the 14 deceased at the Sub-District Hospital in Panvel.

"The procedure confirmed that they died due to heat stroke," a medical officer attached to the facility said, adding that the post-mortem of two other victims was conducted at some other hospitals.

"It was also found that two of these deceased also suffered from co-morbidities," he said.

The 14 deceased included 10 women and four men, officials earlier said.

Till late night on Sunday, they had confirmed 11 deaths in the incident.

Two others died on Monday, while one more person -- a woman -- succumbed two days after the event.

Raigad civil surgeon Dr Suhas Mane said the post-mortem reports of 12 of the 14 deceased were available with the Panvel Sub-District Hospital.

Medical Superintendent of the hospital, Dr Madhukar Panchal, said the autopsy reports have been submitted to the authorities concerned.

The Maharashtra Bhushan award ceremony was held in an open ground in Kharghar during the day.

The event was attended by several lakh people, most of them followers of social worker Appasaheb Dharmadhikari, who was conferred with the Maharashtra Bhushan award by Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

Dharmadhikari has a massive following in the state due to his tree plantation drives, blood donation and medical camps as well as de-addiction work in tribal areas.

Opposition parties have blasted the Eknath Shinde-led state government over the deaths, accusing it of mismanagement.

Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Ajit Pawar has sought an inquiry into why the award event was organised around noon, while Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray leader Sanjay Raut on Thursday accused the government of hiding the real number of victims, claiming that 50 to 75 people have died in the tragedy.