MALAPPURAM: The last rites of army jawan Vishnu Vijayan, 28, who was killed in the landslide at Kavalappara, were held with military honours here on Sunday.
Vishnu’s body was recovered from landslide spot on Saturday. The jawan, who was wrapped in Tricolour, was accorded a gun salute by the Army men. The body was buried near the residence of his relatives at Bhoothanam.
In the morning, mourners led by Public Works Minister G Sudhakaran, Nilambur MLA P V Anwar, District Collector Jafar Malik, paid their last respects when the body was kept at Bhoothanam Government Lower Primary School for the public to pay homage. Several military personnel, including Captain K Muhammad, were present. An emotion-choked atmosphere prevailed at the Bhoothanam school when the body arrived there.
After being inducted into Bengal Sappers Regiment, Vishnu was posted to Siliguri in West Bengal.
He came home some days back to attend the engagement of his sister Jishna. But, on August 8, when a massive landslide devastated the Kavalappara village, Vishnu and his family members along with 59 fellow villagers were buried under the earth.
Bodies of his father Soothrathil Vijayan, uncle Narayanan, aunt Anitha and sister Bhavya were already recovered from the area. The search for Vishnu’s mother Vishweshwari and another sister Jishna is on. Vishnu’s younger brother Jishnu had escaped unscathed.