Indian teen dies of suspected cardiac arrest amid Diwali festivities in Dubai

An 18-year-old Indian expatriate student, Vaishnav Krishnakumar, suffered a sudden cardiac arrest and died in Dubai on Tuesday, a day after Diwali.

As per a report in Gulf News, the teenager, who was a UAE Golden Visa holder and first-year BBA marketing student at Middlesex University Dubai, collapsed during Diwali celebrations at Dubai International Academic City.

Vaishnav was rushed to a hospital but was declared “dead on arrival due to cardiac arrest”, his family told Gulf News. The Dubai Police Forensic Department is conducting further tests.

According to his family, Vaishnav had no known heart ailments. He was known to be disciplined about his fitness and maintained a healthy balance between mental and physical well-being.

Vaishnav is survived by his parents, V G Krishnakumar and Vidhu Krishnakumar, and his younger sister Vrishti. The family, originally from Kerala, is currently completing repatriation formalities to return his body to India for the funeral.

According to the deceased’s LinkedIn account, he was interning with Kendal in social media marketing. He was pursuing a Bachelor of Business Administration at Middlesex University Dubai. In 2024, he was the president of the Model United Nations Club.