Three persons died while waiting in the queue on Thursday to cast their vote in the Coimbatore, Erode and Ramanathapuram Lok Sabha constituencies.
K. Balakrishnan (81), who retired as the Regional Deputy Director of the Directorate of Town and Country Planning (DTCP), died after he fainted at the Gandhi Maanagar Government High School at 8.30 a.m. in Peelamedu in Coimbatore city. His wife was with him to cast her vote. Balakrishnan was said to be instrumental in drafting master plan for Coimbatore in 1995 and in proposing a number of scheme roads. He is survived by his wife, two sons and a daughter, sources said.
Ayyammal (85) woman collapsed and died while waiting in the queue to vote in Eechanari. Ayyammal, a native of Eechanari, had come to cast her vote in a polling booth located in Padasalai Street in the afternoon.
In Erode, S. Murugesan, 62, said to be an AIADMK party member, died of cardiac arrest while waiting in the queue at the Government Boys Higher Secondary School at Sivagiri in Erode constituency here. At 8.15 a.m. he was waiting under the shade of the tree at the polling station when he fell unconscious. One of the paramilitary personnel provided cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) to him. However, he did not respond. Immediately, he was shifted to the Government Hospital where doctors declared him dead. He had a tea stall on Kodumudi Road. Murugesan is survived by his wife, a son and a daughter.
In Pudukottai district falling under the Ramanathapuram Lok Sabha constituency limits, Mallika (60) died minutes before exercising her franchise in a booth in the afternoon. Police sources said she had come to the booth in a elementary school braving the intense heat along with few other villagers.
In Salem, Krishnan (75), a resident of Vedappati here, died after casting his vote at 9 a.m in an nnganwadi centre near Vedapatti. Though he was provided with immediate medical attention, he couldn’t be saved.
An elderly man died while returning from a polling station at Gugai here. The deceased was identified as Chandrabose, (68).
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