Sridevi died of accidental drowning: Dubai Govt
DUBAI: Bollywood actor Sridevi died of accidental drowning in her hotel bathtub after losing consciousness, the Dubai government said on Monday, giving a dramatic twist to her sudden death that has stunned legions of fans and industry colleagues.
There could be a further delay in Sridevi’s body being brought back to India, with the Dubai police informing the Indian Embassy that another “clearance” was awaited before the body could be released.
Indian envoy to the UAE Navdeep Suri said the embassy had been informed that the Dubai police could only release the body after another “clearance”. He, however, did not say what type of clearance was awaited.
“It is their internal process. We do not know,” he said.
“Following the completion of postmortem analysis, Dubai police headquarters on Monday stated that the death of the Indian actress Sridevi occurred due to drowning in her hotel apartment’s bathtub following the loss of consciousness,” the Dubai government’s media office said on Twitter.
The body was likely to be embalmed on Tuesday at noon (Dubai time), Dubai-based newspaper Khaleej Times reported.
The delay in the release of the body and the latest report of the accidental drowning has added new layers to the mystery surrounding Sridevi’s death at the age of 54. It is not clear what caused the actor to lose consciousness, and whether the initial report of her death due to cardiac arrest still holds.
The news of her death first reported at around 3 a.m. IST on Sunday, sent shock waves across the country with those who knew her at a loss to explain how the star, who was present at several wedding functions in Dubai last week, could suddenly breathe her last.
Sridevi is survived by her husband, filmmaker Boney Kapoor, and two daughters, Jhanvi and Khushi.
Dubai-based Gulf News said in a report the actor was under the influence of alcohol. She fell into the bathtub and drowned, it added.
However, this could not be independently confirmed.
Sridevi was in Dubai for a family wedding and had stayed back after the ceremonies.
Her husband had flown back to Mumbai with their younger daughter Khushi but returned to Dubai to surprise her, according to Khaleej Times.
In a video from the wedding, which has since gone viral and is thought to be her last appearance at a party, Sridevi is seen dancing to the Bollywood song ‘Kaala Chashma’. When Boney Kapoor joins her on the dance floor, the two hug each other. In Mumbai on Monday, many Bollywood celebrities visited the home of actor Anil Kapoor, Boney Kapoor’s brother. Sridevi’s two daughters are staying at the house.
Among those who visited to condole Sridevi’s death were Farah Khan, Farhan Akhtar, Tabu, Saroj Khan, Rekha, Rani Mukerji, Karan Johar, Manish Malhotra, Aumpam Kher, Shekhar Kapur, Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone.