MALAPPURAM: They gathered once again in the schoolyard, but this time for a farewell no one had ever imagined. From across Kerala, people arrived in a steady stream, hoping for one last glimpse of the teachers and staff of two Pang schools who lost their lives in the Valparai tragedy on Friday. Grief spread like a shadow, turning the quiet campus of the Ambalaparambu Government High School, just a few kilometres away, into a place of collective mourning. Thousands stood in silence. Many broke down as they paid their final respects.
After the postmortem at the Government Hospital in Pollachi was completed by 4am on Saturday, the victims were transported to Kerala under Tamil Nadu Police escort. By 9am, they were brought to the Ambalaparambu school. In death, as in life, they remained together. The mortal remains of Kuruva Government LPS headmistress Ajitha, 54; teachers Ramla, 52; Suhara, 43; Asha, 41; and Majeed, 43; school cook Sajitha 45; Shakeena, 37, a teacher at Pang GUP School; Rukhiya, 39, wife of Majeed; and, Suhara’s son Hisham were laid out for the public to bid farewell.
As the ambulances arrived one after another, the school ground turned into a space of unbearable sorrow. Grief hung heavy in the air. Some wept uncontrollably, while others sat frozen, unable to comprehend the magnitude of the loss. Among them were students of GLPS Kuruva. Their faces reflected confusion and heartbreak as they waited to see their teachers one last time.
Shafin Jahan, a Class 3 student, stood among the crowd, his eyes filled with tears. Shafin was supposed to join the trip along with his mother Raseena, an LKG teacher at the school.
“The teachers had been talking about the trip for many days. We were planning to go, like every year. But my mother had some family matters, so we couldn’t go this time,” he said softly. “All the teachers, except Shakeena, taught us over the years. Since my mother is a teacher there, they would often come visit us. We were excited to return to school. I don’t know how we will go back to an empty school,” his voice breaking.
Men, women and even small children waited for hours under the scorching sun for a final glimpse of their beloved teachers. Some fainted in the heat and were rushed to temporary medical camps set up by the health department. Yet, the crowd did not thin. People continued to pour in until the gates were finally closed.
By 11.40 am, after the public homage, the bodies were handed over to the respective families.