Local minister in India's Tamil Nadu dies of COVID-19

NEW DELHI -- Minister in the local government of India's southern state of Tamil Nadu R Doraikkannu passed away weeks after he tested positive for COVID-19, officials said Sunday.

The 72-year-old Doraikkannu who was local agriculture minister died Saturday night at a private hospital in Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu.

"With deep grief, we announce the sad demise of Honourable Minister for Agriculture R Doraikkannu," Kauvery hospital executive director Dr. Aravdindan Selvaraj said in a medical bulletin. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the grieving family during this difficult period."

The minister, according to officials, had tested positive for COVID-19 on Oct. 13 and undergone treatment since then.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Sunday condoled the demise of Doraikkannu.

Several top ministers and politicians have contracted the virus in India.

In August, former president Pranab Mukherjee died, weeks after testing positive. Junior railways minister Suresh Angadi died in September due to COVID-19.

Tamil Nadu is the fourth most-affected state in India with 724,522 COVID-19 cases including 11,122 deaths.

India is in the grip of COVID-19 and the cases are increasing with each passing day. The number of infections in the country has reached 8,184,082 with 122,111 deaths.