Malayalam actor Vinod Thomas was pronounced dead over the weekend after he was found unresponsive in a parked car. According to police, Thomas, known for movies like Ayyappanum Koshyum and Happy Wedding, was found dead by hotel management inside a parked car at a hotel near Pampady in Kottayam. He was 45.
At this time, details surrounding Thomas’ death are unclear. According to reports, the actor arrived at the hotel around 11 a.m. local time. He was later discovered unresponsive at around 8:30 p.m. by security personnel who said they saw him entering the vehicle and noticed he had not come out for a long time. Police were immediately called to the scene, and Thomas was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
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“We found him inside the car and took him to a nearby hospital,” police confirmed in a statement, per The Indian Express. “Doctors examined him and declared him dead.”
A preliminary postmortem examination revealed that the “inhalation of poisonous gas caused the actor’s death,” according to Onmanorama The report added that the gas was carbon monoxide. A case of unnatural death has since been registered by Papmpadi police, and an investigation has been launched. The Motor Vehicle Department is reportedly set to inspect the vehicle Thomas’ body was found in. Further information is not available at this time.
Thomas was well known for his work in the Malayalam cinema industry. Throughout his career, he acted in 16 movies, 20 short films, plays, and serials. His credits include Ayyappanum Koshyum, Natholi oru cheriya meenalla, Oru murai vanth paathaaya, Happy Wedding, and June, among many others. He recently starred in the comedy-drama film Bhagavan Dasante Ramarajyam and was next set to appear in the film E Valayam by Revathy S. Varma. NDTV reports that in addition to acting, Thomas was also well-known for his singing abilities.
Reacting to news of his passing on X (formerly Twitter), one person wrote, “So disheartened to know about his death. My sincere condolences to his loved ones. Hope they get the required strength to deal with the major loss. RIP Vinod Thomas.” Several others reacted with crying emojis, with somebody else sharing, RIP.”
