A pall of gloom descended over Pang-Palliparamba village in Malappuram district of Kerala as bodies of the teachers and staff members at a government school who died at a fatal road accident in Tamil Nadu reached their hometown.
Thousands of people gathered at Pang Higher Secondary School, where the bodies were laid in state for the public to pay their respects.
The accident occurred around noon on Friday when the vehicle carrying the 16-member group, including some teachers, staff, and their children, lost control on the Valparai-Pollachi ghat road, rolling down from the 13th bend to the 9th bend.
The deceased included seven women and a child. They were identified as Ajitha (54), Ramla (52), Suhara (43), Asha (41), Majeed (43), Rukhiya (39), Noushad (39) and Sajida (45) and Hisham (12). Among the injured were Sajida’s son Shahadeen Muhammad (11), Suhra’s daughter Masnin (10), Noushad Ali (39) and Muhammad Faees (22), the driver of the tourist van.
Shahadeen is undergoing treatment at Coimbatore Medical College Hospital, while Masnin has been moved to a private hospital in Perinthalmanna. Heartbreakingly, both children remain unaware that they have lost their mothers, reported Manoramaonline.
In a statement, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan expressed grief over the incident and instructed authorities to ensure the best possible treatment for those who were injured. He also assured that the government would provide necessary assistance to the families of the deceased.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also expressed his condolences to the families of the victims.
According to a Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) member, the tour was not organised by the school. “Teachers and staff went on the trip during the vacation period. Some of them had posted photos as WhatsApp status," he told the media.
General Education Minister V. Sivankutty said he had contacted the office of the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, which assured that all necessary assistance would be provided. The minister added that he had been informed that all measures are being coordinated under the leadership of the Coimbatore District Collector.
According to local reports, the group set out on Friday morning, visited Athirappilly Waterfalls in Thrissur and then proceeded to Valparai.
The exact cause of the accident is yet to be confirmed, though preliminary reports indicate that the driver lost control while negotiating the sharp descent at the 13th hairpin bend. The Valparai-Pollachi Ghat Road, known for its challenging terrain with 40 hairpin bends, has a history of several accidents, particularly during the summer months.