T’puram: The 67-year-old woman from Neyyattinkara, who allegedly attempted suicide by setting herself ablaze on a funeral pyre she prepared behind her house, died at a private hospital on Tuesday morning.The deceased, Nalinakumari of Vlangamuri, was undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Neyyattinkara after sustaining severe burns. According to police, she was under emotional distress as her husband, Kritadas, was critically ill and was undergoing treatment in the intensive care unit for nearly a year. The incident occurred shortly after she returned home from the hospital. Police said she left her children and relatives at the hospital and travelled back home alone by bus. After reaching home, she allegedly gathered firewood behind her house, arranged a pyre, and lay down on it before setting it on fire. Neighbours noticed smoke rising from the property and rushed to the spot. They alerted police and fire force, who extinguished the flames and shifted her to the hospital. Police said Nalinakumari lived largely alone, as her children were settled abroad, while her husband remained seriously ill. Neyyattinkara police suspect that prolonged mental distress and loneliness may have led to the extreme act. TNN
