MUMBAI: Kerala musician and violinist Balabhaskar, who was seriously injured in a road accident last week, died here, early on Tuesday, after suffering a cardiac arrest, hospital authorities said. He was 40.The funeral will be held here on Wednesday. 

Balabhaskar, who was seriously injured along with his wife in a road accident on September 25 on the outskirts of Thiruvananthapuram, died at 12.55 A.M., the Ananthapuri Hospital said. 

The accident killed their two-year-old daughter and also injured their driver.

Following an autopsy, the body was taken to Balabhaskar's alma mater, University College Trivandrum where the violinist's tryst with his passion began.

Balabhaskar's wife and the driver are still warded in the hospital.

Doctors said they did their best to save Balabhaskar but he passed away.

On Monday evening, for the first time since his admission, the musician's condition showed some improvement but it was short lived, one doctor said. He failed to recover after suffering a massive cardiac arrest.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan described Balabhaskar as a rising star in the field of music and said his death had caused a huge void.

"He was immensely talented and it helped him to establish himself in the music industry quite early in his life. But the accident took his life as well as that of their daughter, leaving all his well wishers in sadness," Vijayan told the media.

Veteran singer K.J. Yesudas termed Balabhaskar's passing away as a huge loss. 

"It's not just a huge loss but an irreparable one. He had an inborn talent as was evident from what he did in his career, that too very early."

Minister for Culture and Cinema A.K. Balan said it was difficult to believe that he was no more. "I doubt if there would have been any Keralite, at such an young age, who left thousands spellbound with his talent."

Balabhaskar's death saddened thousands of his fans, many of whom waited to see him one last time at the University College.

The musician shot to fame when, as a 17-year-old, he composed music for a Malayalam film. He has composed for many more since then.

(Source: IANS)