The deaths occurred during the physical fitness test for government positions in Jharkhand state in eastern India, which began on Aug. 22.
Over 500,000 people reortedly applied for the government positions in Jharkhand.
The incident appears to be caused by the combination of conducting the test under extremely hot weather conditions and poor management of the exam.
To pass the test, women are required to run 5 kilometers within 40 minutes, and men must complete 10 kilometers within 60 minutes.
The temperature at the time was reported to be close to 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit).
There were also concerns about the insufficient availability of drinking water.
Many of those who collapsed were found to have suffered from dehydration, low blood pressure, and heatstroke.
As a result, the exam, which was scheduled to continue until Monday, has been temporarily suspended.
The police and authorities have launched an investigation into the testing process.
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