COIMBATORE: Collection of fluids in the air sacs of the lungs (pulmonary edema) likely claimed the life of a 26-year-old Kerala-based doctor during trekking at Topslip in Ulanthy forest range in Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR) near Pollachi on Sunday, revealed the postmortem report on Monday.
Sources in the Vettaikaranpudur hospital confirmed to TNIE the postmortem of the deceased, Ajzal A Sain, a resident of Thiruvanathapuram, revealed that some fluids were stuck in his lung, causing him breathing difficulties as he was climbing in the high-altitude area.
Ajzal was accompanied by his friend Fadil Thayyib Raj (27) and two guides of the Tamil Nadu forest department during the trek through the Topslip -Pandaravarai trekking route.
Forest department sources said Ajzal had complained of dehydration when he returned to Topslip at 4.30pm after completing the trek. Subsequently, he was taken to the Vettaikaranpudur Primary Health Centre in the forest department-owned ambulance, where he was declared dead at 5.25 pm on Sunday.
“He was about to pursue a postgraduate medical course in the US and was preparing for an exam. He completed his MBBS in Kerala a year ago,” said a source in the hospital.The 13-kilometre-long trek commenced at 8.30 am and ended at 4.30 pm at Topslip. Food and soft drinks were provided to the trekkers by the forest department.
The deceased managed to climb more than 1,200 metres (MSL) through the mountain temperate and semi-evergreen forest, where the trek is categorised as tough. Ulanthy Forest Range Officer M Sundaravel expressed the incident as ‘unfortunate’.
Speaking to TNIE, Sundaravel said “After Ajzal showed breathing difficulties while trekking, our guides stopped for a while and gave him some rest before proceeding. He didn’t exhibit any health issues during the trek.”