Kharghar heatstroke deaths: ‘Timely IV fluids, or a few sips of water, could’ve saved all’

There were a few lakh people gathered on the ground, say officials

The forensic surgeon and his team who conducted the autopsy on bodies of 12 victims who died at the Maharashtra Bhushan Award ceremony gathering at Kharghar on Sunday have cited ‘acute renal failure, due to severe dehydration, in a case of sun stroke' as the cause of their deaths. According to the Raigad district administration, 50 people had suffered a heat stroke and 21 of them are still under treatment at various hospitals while 17 have been discharged.

The autopsies were conducted at the sub-district hospital at Panvel named after Dr Nanasaheb Dharmadikari whose son Dr Appasaheb Dharmadikari was presented with the award on Sunday

The youngest of those who succumbed to heat stroke was a 30-year-old while the oldest was a 65-year-old. Two of the victims were from Solapur, three from Vasai-Virar and one from Girgaon, while the remaining six were from Raigad district. Their bodies were identified and handed over to their respective claimants after the autopsy.

Golden hour missed

Speaking to mid-day, Dr Babaso Kalel, medical superintendent at Uran Rural Hospital, who conducted the autopsy, said these lives could have been saved if proper medical care had been provided within the golden hour. "It is unfortunate that they could not be saved as none of them seemed to have any internal injuries or ailments," he said, adding that most of them could have been saved if they had received IV fluids or just regular water.

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Dr Babaso Kalel, forensic surgeon

According to Dr Kalel, the deceased were in an open space directly under the sun for hours together, which resulted in dehydration. Both dehydration and urine retention can cause renal failure. There were also signs of hypovolemia (decline in fluid content) which can result in a person slipping into a comatose state. Regarding any history of existing ailments or signs of death due to cardiac-related issues, Dr Kalel said, "We could see age-related atherosclerotic changes in the hearts of those above 50 years of age, but that itself cannot lead to death. Six to seven of the deceased were above fifty years."

Cause of death

The deaths, according to Dr Kalel, were due to acute renal failure due to severe dehydration caused by heat stroke. "I have done many autopsies, but this is first time I am conducting autopsies in mass sun stroke-related deaths, and the common clinical autopsy findings are very evident in all the bodies," Dr Kalel said.

Procedure videographed

The police had arranged for the autopsy to be recorded. Asked if the viscera were preserved for histopathology tests, the doctor replied in the negative, stating that the police had not asked them to do so and that the findings of the autopsy were clear.

What next

"We have completed all the autopsies. In case there are more deaths in hospital, if the treating doctor provides the cause of death, we may not need an autopsy. If not, an autopsy may have to be performed. Also, it depends on whether the police need an autopsy," Dr Kalel concluded.

21
No of people still undergoing treatment

50
Admitted due to heat stroke