Loud DJ, sudden death; 60-year-old dies in Bareilly: When does noise become dangerous?

Bareilly (Uttar Pradesh): A 60-year-old woman died in the Aliganj area of Bareilly after she reportedly suffered severe chest pain while a loud DJ system mounted on a tractor-trolley was passing nearby, police said on Tuesday.

The incident occurred on Monday in Maholiya village when Kamla Devi was travelling with her daughter-in-law, Nanu, to the Gauri Shankar temple for jalabhishek.

According to family member Dorilal, the DJ was playing at a high volume around 400-450 metres from the temple. As the tractor-trolley passed them, Kamla Devi reportedly clutched her chest and sat down. She did not get up again, he said.

Dorilal alleged that the loud sound and vibrations caused her death.

Family declined post-mortem

Circle Officer (Aonla) Hemant Upadhyay said the family declined to have a post-mortem conducted and took the body home. Her last rites were performed on Tuesday.

According to the family, Kamla Devi had a history of high blood pressure and was particularly sensitive to loud sounds.
When can loud noise become dangerous?

There is no single decibel level at which loud noise can be described as universally “lethal”. The health risk depends on the intensity of the sound, duration of exposure and an individual’s health condition.

The US National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) says sounds around 85 dBA and above can cause hearing damage with prolonged exposure, while louder sounds can cause harm much more quickly.

Noise at 100 dBA can pose a risk after around 14 minutes, while 110 dBA can cause damage in as little as two minutes.

Extremely loud bursts can cause immediate and permanent hearing damage, while the World Health Organisation has also linked excessive environmental noise with cardiovascular effects, including an increased risk of heart-related disease and hypertension.

However, while excessive noise can have health effects, there is no medical confirmation yet that the DJ sound caused Kamla Devi’s death, especially since no post-mortem was conducted.