22 January,2024 01:48 AM IST | Mumbai | Apoorva Agashe
One of the two runners, Suvradeep Banerjee (in the middle with his friends), just before the marathon
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Two runners Suvradeep Banerjee, 35, and Rajendra Bora, 75, lost their lives while running the Tata Mumbai Marathon (TMM). Doctors stated that both deceased died due to a heart attack. The Tardeo police station has registered an accidental death report. "Banerjee's body has been sent for post-mortem to Nair hospital and we have informed his family. We will wait for the reports to ascertain the cause of death. The doctors, however, suspect heart attack," said a police officer.
Suvradeep and I had arrived from Kolkata to Mumbai to participate in the marathon. It was our first attempt to run a marathon. He was a runner and usually practised in Kolkata. He wanted to run last year but he had backed out as his father was unwell. He looked very fit and we were unaware if he had any medical conditions. His wife and kid have been informed about his death and they will come here to claim his body," said Banjeree's friend Subhrajyoti Nayak.
According to the police, Nayak informed the on-duty doctors that Banerjee had collapsed near Haji Ali junction at 8 am. The doctors tried giving him medical treatment but Banerjee did not respond to the treatment, so he was shifted to Nair Hospital. In a separate incident, 75-year-old Rajendra Bora collapsed near Marine Lines during the marathon. He was declared dead at Bombay Hospital due to a heart attack. Pooja Jain, Bora's daughter, and his brother Nitin Bora were notified of his demise.
Dr Vijay D'silva, director of critical care and medical affairs at Asian Heart Institute (AHI), expressed condolences to the participants and provided insights into the medical response during the marathon. He said, "Bora and Banerjee unfortunately could not be revived. Our thoughts and prayers go out to their family and loved ones." Dr D'Silva said, "A total of 1,820 runners required medical assistance. The majority of them were muscle cramps, sprains, minor injuries, bruises, exhaustion and dehydration."
Regarding hospitalised patients, Dr D'silva said, "In total 22 runners were taken to the hospital, 19 have already been discharged," providing details on their injuries. He said, "In general, the majority of the cases were of muscle cramps, dehydration, hypoglycemia, and minor injuries."
Highlighting the successful medical support, Dr D'silva said, "AHI is proud to be the medical partner for the 19th year running." This year rehabilitated cardiac patients from AHI also participated in the marathon, emphasising that none required medical assistance.
The 19th edition of the Tata Mumbai Marathon had a total of 56,000 participants, with an additional 2900 runners participating virtually through the TMM app.
22
No. of people hospitalised
19
No. of patients to be discharged from hospital
Inputs by Hemal Ashar and Eshan Kalyanikar
