IIT Madras alumnus dies of heart attack in UAE soon after bidding adieu to family; had 'occasional heartburn'
An Indian expat engineer in the UAE suffered a sudden heart attack and died just hours after bidding farewell to his wife and son at Abu Dhabi International Airport.
An Indian-origin man who was stationed in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for professional reasons died of a heart attack in the early hours of Monday — just hours after bidding adieu to his family, who came to see him from Kerala. Hariraj Sudevan, 37, had dropped his wife and son at Abu Dhabi International Airport when the unfortunate incident occurred, leaving his friends and relatives devastated.
Speaking to Gulf News over the phone from Kerala, his father-in-law Ashokan KP said: "We are all devastated and finding it difficult to accept the reality that he is no more."
Who was Hariraj Sudevan?
Hariraj Sudevan, 37, had been working in the UAE for over 12 years. He was employed as a senior offshore construction engineer in Abu Dhabi and had previously spent 11 years in Dubai as a subsea pipeline installation engineer.
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What happened before his death?
According to his close friend Digin Thomas, Hariraj had recently dropped his wife and son at the airport. Later, he visited Thomas’ home to celebrate the friend’s daughter’s birthday. “We had a cake-cutting ceremony, and he gifted my daughter and played with my children. All my children were very fond of him,” Thomas said.
How did the tragedy unfold?
Thomas recalled, “Around 11:40 pm, he felt uneasy. Sujith, his roommate, called me and another friend from their building, and the ambulance was alerted as well. He complained of breathing difficulties and was sweating. Paramedics performed CPR and rushed him to the hospital, but doctors couldn’t save him.”
Missed warning signs
He mentioned that Hariraj was diabetic, but his condition was well-managed through diet and yoga. He also enjoyed playing badminton. However, Digin recalled that Hariraj had recently mentioned a minor issue with his ECG during a routine offshore check-up.
"But he had it examined by a doctor and underwent additional tests, all of which came back normal. He was experiencing occasional heartburn after meals and believed it was related to gastric problems," Digin added.
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What was his academic and professional background?
Hariraj was a brilliant student who completed his B.Tech from CUSAT and MTech from IIT Madras. Thomas said, “He will always be remembered for his smile and kind nature. It’s heartbreaking to lose someone so genuine and full of life.”
Hariraj’s funeral took place on Tuesday in his hometown of Alappuzha.