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A Microsoft engineer who collapsed on the company’s Silicon Valley campus has died, with his family urging employers to take action against the dangers of overwork.
Pratik Pandey, 35, was discovered in the early hours of August 20 at Microsoft’s offices in Mountain View, California. According to the Palo Alto Daily Post, he was "found face-down" at around 2 am.
The Santa Clara County Medical Examiner’s initial findings indicated a heart attack, community leader Satish Chandra told the newspaper. He added that Pandey had reported stress in the period before his death despite having no known medical issues.
Late nights at work
Pandey had moved to the US from India for his education during the 2010s and previously worked for Apple. He later joined Illumina and Walmart Labs before starting at Microsoft in July 2020.
His uncle Manoj told the Daily Post that the engineer had been "overall, a very positive person," but noted that he was known for working late nights for an "very extended period of time."
Manoj said his nephew arrived at the office before 8 pm on the evening before his death and was later found outside in a campus courtyard. "That will probably save a life," he said of his call for companies to focus on job pressure and employee support.
A memorial notice described Pandey as “a joyful soul with a radiant smile” who loved playing soccer and was remembered as “a great son & friend.”
Police review and company silence
Police reported no evidence of foul play. Bloomberg said officers found "no signs of any suspicious activity or behavior," and a Mountain View Police spokesperson confirmed the death was not being treated as criminal.
The Santa Clara County Coroner’s Office and Mountain View Police Department did not respond to requests for comment from People magazine. A Microsoft spokeswoman also declined to comment.
Pandey had been part of the team working on Microsoft Fabric, a data analysis product that competes with providers such as Snowflake Inc.
His uncle added: "It’s a lot of pain for the family when a loved one passes away."
