Foreign tourist dies of heart attack during Sundarbans trip

An Irish woman tourist died on board a luxury vessel in Kochikhali of the Eastern Sundarbans on Saturday (September 20), reportedly from a heart attack.

The incident occurred at around 11am on the tourist ship MV Alaska. Officials from the Forest Department suspect the tourist died of cardiac arrest.

Rana Dev, assistant conservator of forests (ACF) of Sharankhola Range under the Eastern Sundarbans Forest Division, said the vessel had just anchored around 11am when Irish national Carmel Noilin, 57, went to her cabin. A crew member took coffee to her and found her lying unconscious on the bed. A doctor among the tourists on board examined her and confirmed her death.

He added that the deceased tourist’s Bangladeshi husband was also with her.

Sharankhola Police Station officer-in-charge (OC) Md Shahidullah said a police team, led by the Dhansagar river police outpost, was sent to the spot after receiving the report.

Nazmul Azam, secretary of Tour Operators Association of Sundarbans (TOAS), said the MV Alaska had 75 tourists on board, including 74 Bangladeshis and one foreign national. The vessel had departed from Khulna on Friday.

Md Rezaul Karim Chowdhury, divisional forest officer (DFO) of the Eastern Sundarbans, said police reached the spot with the assistance of the Forest Department from Sharankhola Range headquarters.