More than 50 people have died in India over the past three days as a brutal heat spell continues to grip parts of the country.<\/p>\n
Around\u00a033 people died<\/a>\u00a0in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh over the weekend due to the heat.<\/p>\n In Odisha (Orissa) state, about\u00a020 people died due<\/a>\u00a0to heat stroke, an official told ANI news agency.<\/p>\n Many of these deaths were reported on 1 June as India voted in the last phase of polling for its general election.<\/p>\n The results of the election are set to be announced on 4 June.<\/p>\n Every five years, India holds its general election in the summer months of April and May.<\/p>\n But this year, the temperatures have been record-breaking, with the country experiencing frequent, more intense and longer heatwaves.<\/p>\n The federal health ministry says that there have been\u00a0at least 56 confirmed<\/a>\u00a0heat strokes deaths from 1 March to 30 May. About 24,849 heatstroke cases were reported during the period.<\/p>\n However, state-wise figures suggest the actual number could be much higher.<\/p>\n In Uttar Pradesh, several volunteer policeman, polling officials, security guards and sanitation staff were among those who died over the weekend.<\/p>\n Navdeep Rinwa, chief electoral officer of the state, told reporters that the families of deceased election personnel would be given a monetary compensation of 1.5m rupees ($18,000; \u00a314,000).<\/p>\n Mr Rinwa also said that a man who was standing in the queue to vote fainted because of the heat.<\/p>\n \u201cThe voter was transported to a health facility, where he was pronounced dead upon arrival,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n In Odisha, district authorities reported\u00a099 suspected heat stroke deaths<\/a>\u00a0in the past 72 hours \u2013 of these 20 cases have been confirmed, the state\u2019s Special Relief Commissioner said in a statement.<\/p>\n Suspected heat-related deaths have also been reported from the states of Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand.<\/p>\n