On May 29, Firouz Naderi’s nephew took to the scientist’s verified Instagram account to tell his 445K followers that Naderi was left paralyzed from neck down after suffering from an unexpected accident. The announcement added:

“He has had two neck surgeries in the past week and is thankfully now fully in his senses and grateful for all the friendly messages he has received from around the world.”

Today, his social media accounts announced that Firouz Naderi passed away on June 9, Friday. The announcement added:

“In his last hours, Firouz was surrounded by love and admiration, as he was throughout his life.”

The announcement also stated that they will be releasing details regarding the memorial service at an appropriate time.

Tributes pour in as Firouz Naderi passes away

The internet was flooded with tributary messages after news of Naderi’s passing came to light. Followers were shocked by the announcement. A few tweets read: