India’s cherished Jayalalithaa Jayaram suffers cardiac arrest

Former actress and leader of India’s southern Tamil Nadu State Jayalalithaa Jayaram is being treated for a cardiac arrest suffered on 4 December. Jayalalithaa was admitted to hospital in September with a severe respiratory ailment. Large crowds of supporters gathered outside of the hospital, crying and praying for her recovery.

The Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu and known to many as Amma or mother in Tamil Nadu, Jayalalithaa Jayaram has died after suffering a cardiac arrest on Sunday 4 December. The former actress who was in a critical condition and on life support died at the Apollo Hospitals in Chennai.

She was admitted to the hospital on 22 September after suffering from fever and dehydration.

Apollo Hospitals said in a statement on 5 December: It is with indescribable grief we announce the sad demise of our esteemed honourable chief minister of Tamil Nadu Puratchi Thalavi Amma at 11.30pm today (5 December 2016).

The hospital said that following treatment after she was first admitted, she was transferred from advanced critical care unit to the high dependency unit where her health and vitals continued to improve.

Unfortunately the honourable chief minister suffered a massive cardiac arrest on December 4 2016, even while our intensivist was in her room. Despite CPR and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support, she passed away.

Jayalalithaa who was born on 24 February, 1948, made her debut as a film actress when she was only 16 years old in a Kannada film. She has starred in more than 140 films in Tamil, Telegu, Kannada, Malayalam, Hindi and even English, the Times of India reports.

She is well known for acting together with another actor-turned-politician, MG Ramachandran, who also had a cult following in the southern state of Tamil Nadu.

She served three times as chief minister. Despite being jailed more than once for corruption, she has been hugely popular in the state.

The US consulate in Chennai has warned its citizens to avoid areas of demonstrations and to be vigilant. Following the death of MGR, Jayalalithaas mentor, there was massive looting and rioting across the state by grief-stricken supporters in 1987.

Social media reaction

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in twitter: Very saddened to hear about the demise of Tamil Nadu CM late #Jayalalithaa Ji. Her fans have lost #Amma and India has lost a great daughter.

Jayalalithaa in a rare TV interview.