Booth officer dies during election duty in Jajpur

Bhubaneswar, June 1: A tragic incident occurred during election duty in Odisha's Jajpur district as a booth-level officer passed away from a suspected heart attack at Oleichandanpur booth no 157 on Saturday. The deceased, identified as Manonranjan Sahu, served as the headmaster of a primary school.

Reports indicate that Sahu complained of discomfort and was promptly taken to the Binjharpur community health center, where medical professionals pronounced him dead upon arrival. Speculation surrounds the cause of his demise, with suspicions pointing towards a stroke possibly induced by the oppressive heat and humidity.

This unfortunate event follows a series of health-related incidents among election personnel in the region, as on Friday, ten polling officials were hospitalized due to the severe heatwave conditions experienced during EVM distribution. Furthermore, the toll of such conditions extends beyond Odisha, with reports of twenty-five poll staff fatalities attributed to suspected heatstroke during Lok Sabha poll duties in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, with fifteen of these cases occurring in Uttar Pradesh.