A 19-year-old college student in Madurai died after consuming medicines purchased from a country drug store based on weight loss videos she watched on YouTube, in a tragic incident that has raised serious concerns over unverified online health advice.
The deceased was identified as Kalaiyarasi, daughter of Velmurugan, a resident of Meenambalpuram in Sellur. She was a second-year undergraduate student at a government-aided women’s college in Madurai.
Police said Kalaiyarasi had been watching YouTube videos related to weight loss and, following the instructions given in them, purchased medicines from a country drug shop on Keezhamasi Road on January 17. Soon after consuming the medicines, she began vomiting and lost consciousness.
Her parents rushed her to a private hospital in Nelpettai, where she was treated and later brought home. However, on January 18, she again started vomiting and fainted. She was immediately taken to the Madurai Government Hospital but died on the way.
Based on a complaint from the family, the Sellur police have registered a case and are investigating the circumstances leading to her death, including the source and contents of the medicines consumed.
