Unfortunate: 26 year old MBBS Doctor Dies while Trekking in Tamil Nadu

Coimbatore: A 26-year-old doctor from Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, tragically passed away after completing a trekking expedition in the Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR) in Tamil Nadu on Sunday. A postmortem conducted at Vettaikaranpudur hospital on Monday revealed that pulmonary edema, or fluid accumulation in the lungs, likely caused his death.

Ajzal, a native of Thiruvananthapuram, had recently completed his MBBS in Kerala and was preparing to pursue postgraduate medical studies in the United States. As per news reports, he was trekking along the challenging 13-kilometre Topslip–Pandaravarai trail, which winds through high-altitude mountain terrain and semi-evergreen forests. He was accompanied by his friend, 27-year-old Fadil Thayyib Raj, and two local guides from the Tamil Nadu Forest Department.

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Speaking to the Hindu, an official said, “The guides asked Sain whether to continue the trek midway, after noticing signs of fatigue in him. He told them that he was a doctor and he was fit enough to continue. The duo completed the trek and returned to Top Slip at 4.30 p.m. Sain wanted to sit for sometime and suddenly his condition deteriorated.”

He reportedly complained of dehydration and breathing difficulty after descending from an altitude of over 1,200 meters above sea level (MSL). Forest staff immediately arranged for his transport to the Vettaikaranpudur Primary Health Centre via a forest department-owned ambulance. However, he was declared dead upon arrival at 5:25 p.m.

The tragic incident has left his family and friends devastated. ATR officials confirmed that Sain’s family has been informed about the untimely death, and they have lodged a formal complaint with the Anamalai police.

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Forest officials, including Ulanthy Forest Range Officer M Sundaravel, described 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.”