MALAPPURAM: The silence at GLPS Kuruva is no longer the quiet of a village night. It is the kind that follows an unthinkable loss.
What began as a joyful getaway on a Friday early morning ended in devastating tragedy at Valparai, wiping out nearly the entire teaching strength of the small government school in Malappuram.
Five teachers and a cook had set out on the vacation trip. None of them returned. The accident also claimed the life of the school cook.
For years, the school had been more than a workplace. It was a close-knit family. Teachers and non-teaching staff marked every vacation with trips together, a tradition born out of deep bonds rather than routine.
The remaining staff at the school are first grade teacher Hasnath, LKG teacher Razina, UKG teacher Yashoda, and peon Gopalan, who did not join the tour.
“We couldn’t go on the trip due to family engagements. But they kept sharing photos throughout the journey. Even minutes before the accident, they sent us a video from inside the van,” Razina said, showing the clip to reporters as she broke down in tears.
Gopalan recalls the day the group left for the trip with a trembling voice. “They proceeded on Friday morning, all excited. The trip had been planned long before the vacation. This time, four of us could not go due to personal reasons. Now, it is just us who remain,” he said.
The loss is not just professional. It is deeply personal. Majeed, who was visually impaired, depended on the support of his wife Ruqiya.
She would often visit to assist him and, over time, became a part of the school’s extended family. Headmistress Ajitha, who joined three years ago, never allowed hierarchy to come in between. Ramla, a long-time colleague and Gopalan’s neighbour, had shared decades of service and friendship.
“I cannot hold back my emotions. That is how much this accident has broken us,” Gopalan said, his voice faltering. “There are about 150 students here. I do not know what I will tell them when they come back.”
As news of the tragedy spread, hundreds of residents and parents gathered in front of the school, holding on to fragments of hope even as the reality sank in.
Abdurahiman, a former ward member and vice president of Kuruva panchayat, said the grief runs through the entire community.
“I knew each of them closely. I used to attend almost every event at the school. In this village, the GLP school was never just a building. With most staff members hailing from nearby areas, we were like family,” Abdurahiman said. “We are all shattered. Hope no more sad news reaches us.”