Scorching heat kills at least 17 devotees at Sehwan Urs

SEHWAN: At least 17 devotees have died at Sehwan Sharif due to heat stroke and other reasons during the past two days as thousands braced the extreme weather to attend the 73rd Urs celebrations of Sufi saint Hazrat Lal Shahbaz Qalandar.

On Saturday, 10 people died as Sehwan baked in 44 degree Celsius temperature. But devotees continued to throng the shrine on Sunday despite punishing heat on the second day of the celebrations.

Four people were reported to have died due to scorching heat or drowning in the waters of the Indus River earlier today.

But according to latest reports from rescue sources, three more people lost their lives as the mercury rose to 44 degree Celsius in Sehwan Town.

The latest deaths have brought the toll up to 17.

The Sindh government has taken strict security measures to thwart any untoward incident at the shrine on the occasion of the Urs which will conclude on Monday.