Tragedy Strikes at Government Awards Ceremony in Maharashtra as 11 Die of Heatstroke

Eleven people died and 600 fell ill due to dehydration and exposure to heat during a state-sponsored awards ceremony in Mumbai, India. The event was attended by up to two million people who were kept waiting for four hours in 100-degree heat without shelter. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said about a million people attended the event. The tragedy has been attributed to government negligence, and political opponents of the BJP are calling for criminal charges to be brought. Heatwaves are becoming increasingly common in India and have killed more than 6,500 people in the country since 2010.