Sunburn turns major concern in Kerala; 1 suspected death, 2 injuries reported

A retired Air Force officer was found dead in his field at Vilakkudy in Kollam on Saturday in a suspected case of sunstroke. The deceased has been identified as Baby Philipose (84).

Philipose, who had been living with his son Rijo T B and daughter-in-law at their home in Kunnicode, had left to visit their field around 9.30 am. “He had taken up farming after retiring from the Air Force,” his relative Alex told Onmanorama.

Two hours later, around 11.30 am, an MGNREGA worker passing through the field spotted him lying face down on the ground and alerted the family.

He was rushed to Thettikkuzhy Hospital in Kunnicode, where doctors declared him brought dead. “We do not know exactly what happened as he was alone in the field, but his back was severely burnt when the body was found,” Alex said. “We suspect he may have died due to sunstroke,” he added.

Philipose is survived by his wife Omana and three children—Rijo T B, Ringle T B and Titu T B. Omana was staying with their daughter Ringle, who is settled in the US, at the time of the incident.

Philipose’s death comes at a time when cases of sunstroke and sunburn are on the rise in the state. As the summer heat continues to intensify, two people from Idukki district have also suffered sunburn. The injured are natives of Muttom and Perumattom.

Narayana, a resident of Kalappurakkal in Muttom, sustained sunburns while working in an agricultural field. At around 11 am, he experienced dizziness and physical discomfort during work and was admitted to the Muttom Community Health Centre. During the medical examination, doctors found the burn marks on his body.

In another incident, Asha, a native of Perumattom, also suffered sunburns. She sought treatment after sustaining burns on her face while washing clothes outside her house.