KOCHI: For the four, Monday could have been their first day at college and office in the New Year. But their destiny was to ride into the cold embrace of death after a bus rammed into their bike and car. The accident took place at Varappuzha bridge, Kochi, around 2 am.
The deceased are: Akshay Sasikumar, 20, Cherambra, Malappuram and Jijisha Jafar, 23, Edakkara, Nilambur - students of Cusat. Hareendra Shankar,27, Cheriyapalli, North Paravoor and Kiran Babu, 25, Pallikkara, were working at a company in Infopark, Kochi.
Three other Cusat students - Gudiya S Lal, Athira Sasikumar and Athulya Nair - were admitted to a city hospital and their condition is stable. The hospital authorities said one of the students would undergo surgery on Tuesday. Police said the bus driver might have dozed off and lost control of the vehicle. The bus, which was carrying pilgrims, was proceeding from Kollam to Edapal. The six bus passengers were discharged after administering primary treatment
For the students and teachers of Cusat, who were enjoying the Christmas holidays, the news of Monday’s terrifying accident came as huge shock. The condition of the techies at InfoPark was not different, who were shocked to hear about the loss of their two colleagues on the second day of the new year. Tragedy struck when a speeding bus rammed into the car in which Akshay, 24, of Kozhikode and Jijisha, 24, of Malappuram - both final year B-Tech students of the Cusat - were travelling along with three other students.
The bus also hit the bike on which InfoPark employees Hareendra Sankar, 27, of Paravoor and Kiran, 25, of Kakkanad were travelling, killing them on the spot. It is learnt that the students, all hailing from the Malabar region, were returning to the college after the Christmas vacation. Hareendra Shankar and Kiran had gone to Kannur to attend a wedding.
After returning to Paravur, they had set out on the former’s bike for Kiran’s house at Pallikkara. The other three passengers of the car, all Cusat students, are undergoing treatment at the intensive care unit of Aster Medcity here.
“Their condition is stable. However, one of the students will be undergoing a surgery on Tuesday,” said hospital authorities.
A pall of gloom descended on the Cusat campus, especially the IT Department under the SoE . “With most of the students and teachers away spending the holidays, the campus has plunged into deep gloom,” said Cusat IT HoD Shelbi Joseph.