KOCHI: After an eight-day-long wait, the Manickamangalam village in Kalady bid a tearful farewell to its dear son Sivin Johnny Konnuran, 26, who was one of the three Malayalis who lost their lives in an apartment fire accident in Bochum, Germany. The fire broke out around 4.15 am on October 14 in the multi-family building in Bochum’s Hofstede district. Firefighters found the three victims dead in their apartment.
On Friday, the mortal remains of Sivin were laid to rest in the family tomb at St Roche’s Church, Manickamangalam, in the presence of a vast sea of mourners that included relatives, friends, and villagers. Fate dealt Sivin a cruel hand, said Paulose Konnuran, Sivin’s cousin. “After completing BCom, he had been waiting for a chance to get a job abroad and prove himself. He wanted to follow the path of his elder sister Simi, a nurse in Ireland. His younger brother Salvin too had gone abroad. He is in Germany on a student visa to study nursing,” said Paulose.
According to him, it had been hardly a month since Sivin left for Germany. “He arrived in Germany on September 14. He was hardly in the country for a month when the fire took him away from us on October 14,” he added. Sivin, according to his relatives and friends, was a very positive person. His very recent post on life’s ups and downs on social media has now gained attention.
He wrote, “Jeevitham anganeyada, ella velichavum kettukazhiyumbozhum nammuku vendi kathunna oru mezhukuthiri evideyengilum bakkiundakum. Athu kandethende karyame ullu’.
His mother had passed away many years ago. “His father, Johnny Ouseph, was told of his death only on Friday. He remains inconsolable. He had been trying to contact Sivin for the past two days and had been worried after not being able to get through. He had only been told that Sivin had met with an accident, but he was okay,” said Paulose.
Sivin had been doing some odd jobs before going to Germany through an agency. Both the other victims - Nova Sabu from Irattayar in Idukki and Anjali S Joy from Kollam had also gone to Germany via the same agency.
Anjali had moved to Germany for higher studies, while Nova had moved there about six months ago for work. After reaching Germany, Sivin had been living with his younger brother and initially worked in a company owned by a relative. He had landed a job with a hotel. However, before he could join the hotel, the fire accident claimed his life.