Bengaluru Deputy Mayor Ramila dies of heart attack

Bengaluru: Bengaluru's new Deputy Mayor Ramila Umashankar died following a massive heart attack early on Friday, said an official. She was 44.

"Ramila died after a massive cardiac arrest around 12.50 a.m. at a private hospital in the city," Bengaluru civic corporation official L. Suresh told IANS.

She is survived by her husband, a son and a daughter.

The ruling Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) counsellor from Kaveriapura was elected on September 28.

"Ramila's husband (Umashankar) rushed her to the hospital after she complained of chest pain and difficulty in breathing," Suresh said.

The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) declared a holiday for its offices, schools and civic wards across the city. Hospitals and markets though would remain open.

Karnataka Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, former Prime Minister and JD-S supremo H.D. Deve Gowda and Bengaluru Mayor Gangambike Mallikarjun have mourned Ramila's death and expressed condolence to her bereaved family, among many others.