Nakashipara: A sick migrant labourer from Nadia could not be treated in time in Kerala because of floods and died on Saturday.

Dilwar Hossain Mollick, 19, from Choumaha village of Nadia's Nakashipara, who passed Higher Secondary examinations this year, had gone to work in Kerala as a construction labourer to help his ailing father.

But the youth, suffering from high fever since Wednesday, could not be taken to hospital till Saturday afternoon because of the floods. He was confined to a house at Karakunnu village near Manjeri town in Malappuram district.

Dilwar was first taken to a hospital in Manjeri on Saturday, after the water receded a little, but was referred to Malappuram District Hospital and later to Government Medical College in Kozhikode. Having travelled a total distance of 75km, he died after being admitted to the Kozhikode hospital on Saturday evening.

The youth was scheduled to return home on Wednesday to celebrate Id on August 22. His colleagues from Nadia in Kozhikode said on Sunday that his body was expected to reach home to Choumaha on Wednesday.

Around 50,000 people from Nadia, Murshidabad and Birbhum work in Malappuram, Perumbavoor, Thiruvananthapuram and Chengannur.

According to Dilwar's colleagues from Nadia, he had caught fever last Wednesday. On Saturday evening, Dilwar's cousin Abdur Rehman Mollick received a call from another cousin in Kozhikode, who broke the news of the teenager's death.

"We were worried as we had not been able to contact Dilwar since Thursday. That day he had spoken with his elder sister Abedun but did not utter a word about his illness. We were surprised when we heard that Dilwar had high fever since Wednesday. But they could not take him to hospital as Karakunnu village, where Dilwar was staying, was under water," said Abdur.

Surman Mandal, a labour contractor from Nakashipara, who had accompanied Dilwar to the hospital, said: "Karakunnu was totally under water. The roads were under chest-deep water. The water started to recede after rain stopped on Friday. Meanwhile, Dilwar's condition deteriorated. As some basic medication failed, we arranged a foldable cot and took him to Manjeri town on a push cart. He was taken to the hospital in the town but doctors referred him to Malappuram District Hospital. He was again referred to Government Medical College, Kozhikode, where he was put in the intensive care unit. But he died barely within an hour."

Surman said the family's economic condition had forced Dilwar to quit studies. "I had advised him to quit his job in Kerala and resume his studies. But he refused saying his parents and sister would starve if he did so," Surman said.

About 50 labourers from Porui village in Katwa, East Burdwan, had gone to Kozhikode to work as construction labourers about three months ago. They reached Chennai by bus on Friday but are yet to get a train to Bengal.