10 voters drop dead in Kerala during LS polls

Thiruvananthapuram, April 23 (IANS) At least 10 deaths were reported from various places in Kerala on Tuesday while polling was underway for 20 Lok Sabha seats in the state. However, the Election Commission said it had nothing to do with voting.

The state poll panel asked the district collectorate to compile the figures as the incidents were reported in Kasargode, Kollam, Kannur, Ernakulam, Wayanad among others when Kerala voted in the third phase of the staggered process. 

Among the dead were 84-year-old Rosamma in Kottayam, who fell unconscious as she was trying to enter an auto rickshaw to take her to the polling booth.

Three deaths were reported from Kannur district, where Venugopal collapsed soon after he returned home after casting his vote. He was rushed to a hospital, but could not be saved.

Mustafa, 52, from Tellicherry passed away at a polling station, while Vijaya, 65, collapsed while waiting in queue at a polling booth in Chokli.

Theresiyamma, 87, died after collecting her voter slip inside a booth near Ernakulam. 

The other deaths were reported from Kollam where a 63-year-old man while speaking to a polling official developed uneasiness, collapsed and died.

In Wayanad, a tribal man Balan, 64, collapsed when on his way to cast his vote. In Alappuzha, too, Prabhakaran, 74, died on his way to a booth.

Papachen, 67, from Ranni died while waiting in the voting queue.

One middle-aged Baburaj while on his way to cast his vote at a booth in Kasargode also collapsed and died.