COIMBATORE: The arduous trek of the Velliangiri Hills has claimed the first casualty of the year. A 60-year-old man trekking to the hilltop temple here fainted and died on Friday evening.
The deceased was S Desinguraja from Lalgudi in Tiruchy. He was a mechanic with the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) in Tiruchy.
Police sources said Umapathi, a software engineer from Electronic City in Karnataka, and his uncle Desinguraja came to Coimbatore on Friday afternoon to climb the Velliangiri Hills.
Desinguraja's death occurred on the fifth hill around 7 pm.
Police said during the ascent, Desinguraja felt tired, developed breathing trouble and suddenly fainted on the spot.
Umapathi called in the doli-bearers with the help of the public. They later arrived and brought Desinguraja's body down early on Saturday morning. Medical staff stationed in the foothills examined Desinguraja and confirmed his death. The Alandurai police subsequently sent his body to the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital for postmortem, the police sources added.
The Alandurai police is investigating the matter by registering a case.
Police said this is the first death reported on the hills this year. Seven devotees died in the hills last year.
Devotees have been allowed to climb the seven hills since February 1.
Forest department had already advised those with heart ailments, diabetes, or breathing troubles not to climb the hills.