BREAKING NEWS: Tamil Nadu CM Jayalalithaa dies of cardiac arrest, says local media

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa died of cardiac arrest at Apollo Hospital in Chennai. She was admitted to Apollo Hospitals since September with fever and dehydration.

She was on assisted breathing-Extra-Corporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO)-device, which is a life support system that helps provide oxygen to the body when the patient's lungs or heart are unable to do so.

In September, she was given respiratory support, nebulisation, drugs to decongest the lungs, antibiotics, nutrition, general nursing care and supportive therapy.

After more than 50 days in the hospital, Ms. Jayalalithaa, in a signed letter, says she has taken a “rebirth.” She says she is waiting to get back soon to routine official work.

She communicated through a speaker (a speaking valve) for a few seconds or a few minutes at a time.

Jayalalithaa, born on Feb 24 1948, was commonly referred to as Amma.

She joined the AIADMK in 1982. Jayalalithaa served as Tamil Nadu Chief Minister from 1991 to 1996, in 2001, from 2002 to 2006 and from 2011 to 2014.

She was re-elected as Chief Minister on 19 May 2016 and took the oath as Chief Minister for the sixth time on 23 May 2016. Jayalalithaa was an actress before her entry into politics and appeared in 140 films which include Tamil, Telugu, and Kannada films.

She was a member of the Rajya Sabha, elected from Tamil Nadu, from 1984 to 1989. Soon after the death of MGR, Jayalalitha proclaimed herself his political heir. She is the second female chief minister of Tamil Nadu after Janaki Ramachandran.