DADU: At least 41 devotees died at various places of Sehwan Sharif due to heat stroke and other reasons during the past four days while many others also fell unconscious in the extreme weather.
The mercury rose to 50 degree Celsius in Sehwan Town and its surrounding areas on Wednesday killing at least 16 devotees due to heatstroke at various places on the eve of second day of 762nd annual Urs of Suifi saint of Hazrat Qalandar lal Shahbaz.
Moreover, the bodies of six persons, aged between 30 to 65 years, who who had died of heatstroke were found by Edhi volunteers and were not identified.
In another incident, two more devotees drowned at Sapna lake.
At least nine devotees died of heat stroke and two more had drowned in water of Indus River on Tuesday, the first day of annual Urs celebration of Hazrat Qalandar Lal Shahbaz.
The bodies of the deceased were brought at Taluka Hospital Sehwan by volunteers and social activists.
A day before starting annual urs of lal Shahbaz on Monday, five devotees had died of the extreme heat in various areas of Sehwan while three dead bodies of unidentified devotees also were found by Edhi volunteers. The bodies were shifted to Taluka Hospital Sehwan Sharif.
Two days before starting of annual Urs of lal Shahbaz on Sunday, three persons had lost their lives to the excruciating heat in the region.
Chairman mela (festival) committee, who is DC Dadu, Sohail Adeeb Bachani said that a site was proposed for burial of dead bodies of unknown devotees of lal Shahbaz, those died in heatstroke and other reasons.
He said that the local Edhi center with help of police had buried three bodies and the process of burying more people was underway.
An official of Edhi center Sehwan Ghulam Shabbir said that the bodies of devotes who had been identified were sent to their native homes whereas the dead bodies of unidentified persons were lying at Edhi center Sehwan and Taluka Hospital Sehwan.