Indian actor Vijayakant passes away

Actor and DMDK chief Vijayakanth, 71, died at a private hospital in Chennai on Thursday. He was on ventilator support after testing positive for Covid-19, as per his party. However, the hospital's statement mentioned he had pneumonia.

A statement by the hospital read, "Captain Vijayakanth was on ventilatory support following his admission for pneumonia. Despite the best efforts of medical staff he passed away in the morning on 28th December 2023."

Vijayakanth was admitted to the hospital on Tuesday for a regular health check-up. At the time, the party said Vijayakanth was "healthy" and would return home after the tests.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has announced the DMDK leader will be laid to rest with full state honours.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences in a post on X, saying that his "close friend" Vijayakanth's passing leaves a "void that will be hard to fill"._Agencies.