As Nagpur is baking under a severe heatwave, with temperatures soaring to 46.6 degrees Celsius, seven unidentified men were found dead at different locations across the city over the past two days. While the exact causes of death are yet to be confirmed, police suspect that extreme heat may have played a role in several of the cases. Accidental death cases have been registered in all seven incidents and post-mortem reports are awaited. Significantly, most of the deceased appeared to be homeless or living in vulnerable conditions which exposed them to prolonged periods outdoors during the peak summer heat. On May 24 alone, three unidentified men were found unconscious in separate areas of the city.

 

One was discovered near the Chhattisgarh railway line under Pachpaoli Police Station limits, another near a residence in Imambada, and a third beneath the Dighori Square flyover in Hudkeshwar. All were taken to hospitals, where doctors declared them dead. Another unidentified man, believed to be around 55 years old, was found dead in a garden behind Aradhana Bus Stop on Dighori Ring Road. Police noted that he was wearing only Bermuda shorts which indicated possible prolonged exposure to the intense weather.

 

In a separate incident, a man staying at the Government Beggars’ Reception Centre in Kapil Nagar fell ill shortly after midnight on May 25 and later died during treatment at Mayo Hospital. Two more unidentified men were found unconscious at Ashok Chowk in Pachpaoli and near Medical Chowk in Imambada on May 25 and 26. Both succumbed despite being rushed to hospital. The deaths have put question mark on the safety of homeless and destitute persons during the harsh summer, despite measures such as cold wards and heat-relief facilities introduced by civic authorities.