BERHAMPUR: Two youths died and five others fell sick during a physical fitness test for recruitment of home guards in Gajapati district on Thursday.
The deceased were identified as Sulanta Misal (27) of Parisal village and Dipak Padal (29) of Narayanpur in Gajapati.
Sources said the physical fitness test was conducted at Betaguda in Ranipentha on the outskirts of Paralakhemundi town at 6 am. Around 1,200 candidates including women had applied for 144 home guard posts in Gajapati district. Candidates were required to participate in a 2-km run from Ranipentha to Padmapur.
In the first phase, the female aspirants completed their test. Subsequently, the male candidates participated in the running. Just before 30 metre from the finish line, Misal suddenly collapsed on the ground. Later, six other aspirants including Padal also became unconscious reportedly due to exhaustion.
They were rushed to the district headquarters hospital at Paralakhemundi where Misal was declared dead by doctors. Of the remaining six, four were discharged after treatment and two including Padal were kept under observation.
In the afternoon, Padal’s condition worsened and he was shifted to MKCG Medical College and Hospital at Berhampur. However, he died during treatment.
Gajapati SP Jatindra Kumar Panda said all the candidates were screened and their health certificates verified before the physical fitness test. Six police teams were deployed to conduct the test. While water and glucose were strategically placed at various points along the track for the candidates, a doctor was also present at the finish line of the 2-km run.
The bodies of the two deceased have been sent for autopsy. The exact cause of death of the two aspirants will be ascertained after the postmortem report arrives, said police.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi expressed grief over the incident and announced a compensation of `4 lakh each for the families of the deceased from the CM’s Relief Fund.