E-Paper
J&K man dies of heart attack hours before leaving quarantine centre in Kathua district
He had tested negative for Covid-19
A 47-year-old man died of “heart attack” at a quarantine centre in Kathua district of Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday, hours before his release after testing negative for Covid-19.
A resident of Chipaki Kala village in Hiranagar, the man was put under institutional quarantine at Changran on his return from Mumbai on June 15 and was tested for Covid-19 the next day.
Kathua district authorities, however, suspected that the man, who was suffering from a liver ailment, might have died of sudden “cardiac arrest”.
Kathua district commissioner OP Bhagat said, “On June 15, the man returned from Mumbai and his samples were taken for the mandatory Covid 19 test, the next day. On June 17 he complained of liver-related problems coupled with palpitation. We took him to the government medical college where doctors examined him and the doctors found his condition satisfactory.”
However, this morning he died, probably of heart attack, the DC added.
He said that a magisterial probe has been ordered into his death and ADC Atul Gupta shall submit a report within 15 days.
The body has been shifted to the mortuary of GMC in Kathua town.
Following his death, other inmates in the quarantine centre staged a protest and alleged that 8 to 10 people have been kept in a single room in unhygienic conditions. Some of them even tried to block the passage to the ambulance.
Bhagat said that following the death, people, who usually were reluctant to get quarantined, have got an opportunity to level allegations.
It may be stated here that Vimal Zadoo, 38 and Vipin Zadoo, 35, two young Kashmiri Pandits died in Tawi river bed on Thursday where they had gone to cremate the body of their relative.
They died due to apathy of the officials present at the site, who didn’t even provide water to them under the scorching sun.
