Express News Service
KOLKATA: Playback singer Krishnakumar Kunnath, popularly known as KK, had multiple arterial blockages that appear to have caused a cardiac arrest. The 53-year-old artiste died soon after giving a live performance in the city on Tuesday.
KK’s preliminary post-mortem report, conducted at the state-run SSKM Hospital on Wednesday, points out that the singer died of a likely heart attack and that “myocardial infarction’’ could have stopped blood flow to his heart.
“He had a major blockage in one of the main coronary arteries and small blockages in other arteries and sub-arteries. The singer had 80 per cent blockage in the left coronary artery and small blockages in other arteries,’’ said a doctor of SSKM Hospital.
Cardiologists said if a person has latent heart disease for a long time, there is a possibility of myocardial infarction — a deadly medical emergency when the heart muscles begin to die because of inadequate blood flow.
After reaching the hotel, the singer collapsed when he was about to sit on a sofa. Before that, he complained of uneasiness while returning from the event, and asked his driver to turn off the air-conditioner of the vehicle.
Sources in the Kolkata police said antacids were recovered from the room of the hotel where KK was staying. “His wife also told us that the singer used to be on antacids on a regular basis,’’ said a police officer.
Cardiologists said many people ignore the early signs of heart disease, mistaking it for digestion problems.“It seems that blood flow to the singer’s heart stopped following excessive excitement during the live performance. The problem started either during the show or immediately after the event, when he complained of uneasiness. If CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) had been given immediately, his life could have been saved,’’ said a cardiologist of the hospital.
Opposition targets TMC over KK’s death Kolkata: Accusing the Trinamool Congress and the administration of negligence, Bishnupur BJP MP Saumitra Khan has shot a letter to Home Minister Amit Shah, demanding a CBI probe into KK’s demise. “The event was not held by a college but by TMC. KK wasn’t feeling well, but he was forced to continue singing,’’ he said. Khan added that no senior police officer was present at the venue, and questioned the permission given for over-crowding at the hall. TMC MP Saugata Roy rubbished the charges, saying CM Mamata Banerjee had expressed her condolences over KK’s death. CPI(M)’s students’ wing, SFI, has blamed TMC student body, TMCP. “They sold tickets in black, sprayed fire extinguishers in the hall, then switched off the AC. This is a criminal offence,’’ they said. ENS
