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Miscellaneous
Orlando Marrugo died after collapsing in front of his class while singing during a Teacher’s Day tribute in Arjona, Colombia.
He was pronounced dead shortly after collapsing in front of his class while singing on Teacher’s Day.
Students from year 11 had organised a special tribute for their teachers to mark the occasion. Orlando Marrugo then took the microphone to thank them and began a traditional song.
Footage showed him performing the vallenato classic Sin Más Palabras, made famous by Los Betos, as students clapped along. He paused, said, “I’ll leave it there for you”, and then slumped to the floor in front of screaming students.
The 54-year-old suffered a fatal heart attack last Friday (15 May) at the Carolina Gamero Pérez School in Arjona, Colombia, where he was a popular social sciences teacher. The video, which went viral on X with 132,000 views and dozens of comments, was reported by Need To Know.
An intense heatwave sweeping Colombia’s Caribbean coast may have contributed to the fatal cardiac event, although no official post-mortem details have been released. Orlando was widely remembered as a dedicated educator who combined his love of teaching with a passion for regional vallenato music and folk traditions.
The school has not issued a formal statement, but residents say the loss has left the town in mourning. Counselling services have been made available for traumatised pupils who witnessed the tragedy unfold firsthand.
