Man dies of heart attack while collecting ice apples from 60-ft palmyra palm in Keralam

A 64-year-old man died after suffering a heart attack while collecting ice apples (nonku) from a tall Asian palmyra palm tree at Palappuram near Ottapalam in Palakkad district on Saturday (October 17, 2026) morning.The deceased was Rajakumaran, a resident of Chathan Plakkal, Pallarmangalam, Palappuram.The incident took place around 7 a.m. when Rajakumaran climbed a palmyra palm about 60 feet tall in the compound of a house at Mattampettakkattu, near the old post office at Palappuram.When he did not climb down from the tree, local residents checked and found him stuck at the top of the tree. They sought the help of the Fire and Rescue Services personnel from Shoranur.Firemen soon reached the spot and brought Rajakumaran down from the tree. However, he had died by the time he was brought to the ground around 9 a.m.His body was shifted to the Government Taluk Hospital at Ottapalam. Published - October 17, 2026 05:11 pm IST