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This Article is From Sep 07, 2018

The Cranberries' Dolores O'Riordan Died By Accidental Drowning: Reports

"There's no evidence that this was anything other than an accident," the coroner said.

The Cranberries' Dolores O'Riordan Died By Accidental Drowning: Reports
File photo of Dolores O'Riordan (Image courtesy: AFP)

Dolores O'Riordan, who found international fame in the 1990s as the lead singer of the Irish band the Cranberries, died by drowning, according to a coroner's inquest.

 

The singer had been in London for a recording session when she was found dead on Jan. 15. She was 46.

 

The cause of her death was unknown at the time. The inquest, usually conducted in Britain in the case of sudden or unexplained deaths, concluded that O'Riordan died by drowning in a bathtub after drinking alcohol, the Associated Press reported.

 

"There's no evidence that this was anything other than an accident," coroner Shirley Radcliffe said, AP reported.

 

Witnesses told the inquest at Westminster Coroner's Court that O'Riordan had drunk excessive amounts of alcohol, and empty bottles of alcohol and containers of prescription drugs were found in her hotel room, the BBC reported.

 

A toxicology report showed O'Riordan had "therapeutic" amounts of medication in her system, and 330 mg of alcohol per 100 ml of blood, four times over the legal limit for driving, BBC reported.

 

The inquest was held on what would have been O'Riordan's 47th birthday.

 

"Today we continue to struggle to come to terms with what happened," the Cranberries said in a statement released Thursday. "Our heartfelt condolences go out to Dolores' children and her family and our thoughts are with them today."

 

The band added that "Dolores will live on eternally in her music" and that "to see how much of a positive impact she had on people's lives has been a source of great comfort to us."

 

The Cranberries reached stardom in the 1990s, with hits like Linger and Zombie The band went on hiatus in 2003, and reunited in 2009. O'Riordan also released two solo albums.

 

Her sudden death hit Ireland particularly hard. Irish President Michael D. Higgins noted the "immense influence on rock and pop music in Ireland and internationally" that O'Riordan and the Cranberries had. "To all those who follow and support Irish music, Irish musicians and the performing arts her death will be a big loss."

 

In 2017, the band had to cancel the remaining dates on their tour, citing O'Riordan's "recovery from her ongoing back problem." Over the years, O'Riordan has spoken publicly about her mental health and physical problems, including her bipolar diagnosis and depression.

 

Her survivors include three children she had with ex-husband, Don Burton, a former tour manager for Duran Duran tour.

 

(c) 2018, The Washington Post

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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