A grief-stricken Kerala bids adieu to victims of the ghastly road mishap in neighbouring TN, involving a KSRTC Volvo bus & a container truck
A daughter bids her father goodbye
The mourners who attended the funeral of Gireesh, the driver of the ill-fated bus, will never be able to get the image of his daughter Devaki hugging her father’s body and kissing him goodbye at Okkal crematorium in Perumbavoor. She remained at the crematorium watching the smoke from the chimney going up into the blue sky. Gireesh’s body was brought home at around midnight on Thursday. A huge crowd comprising his relatives, friends, colleagues and well-wishers besides those living in Pullukuzhi gathered to say goodbye to their beloved Gireesh. MLA Eldhose Kunnapilly, block panchayat standing committee chairman Paul Varghese, former panchayat president C V Sasi and the former managing director of KSRTC Tomin Thachankary arrived to pay their respects to the departed soul. Thachankary recalled how the drivers had been always at the forefront when it came to helping others. “Gireesh’s family is not financially sound. So, all efforts will be made to help them out,” he said.
Still shell-shocked
Happiness seems to have been sucked out from Aishwarya Rajashree’s home as her family members stayed frozen in shock. Her father, husband and relatives brought her home at Ponekara on Thursday night. Meanwhile, Emcy K Mathew was laid to rest at St George Basilica at Angamali at 4pm. Shaju and Shiny laid to rest their son Jismon Shaju in their family tomb at Thuravur St Augustine’s church. Sivasankar P was cremated at the Shantitheeram public crematorium at Thiruvaniyoor.
No mending their hearts now
No amount of consoling could mend the shattered hearts of Varada and Gokulnathan whose only daughter Gopika was killed in the Avinashi accident. Varada’s heart-wrenching cries calling her daughter to wake up caused tears to well up in the eyes of all those who had gathered at Gopika’s residence. Shock, disbelief and grief could be seen on Gokulnathan’s face as the realisation that Gopika’s laughter that echoed in their home for the past 23 years has been silenced forever slowly dawned. After the rites at home, Gopika was cremated at the public crematorium at Tripunithura at 10am on Friday.
Kin, well-wishers struggle to console Sanoop’s parents
Kannur: As the mortal remains of N V Sanoop, 28, were brought to his house in Kanam near Payyannur, hundreds who had gathered here couldn’t control their tears. They were getting ready to celebrate Sanoop’s marriage, which was scheduled to take place on April 11. Before bringing the body to his house, it was kept at the Kanam Brothers Club, which had been an integral part of Sanoop’s life. The funeral was held at the community crematorium at Punchakkad near Payyannur at 1pm. Sanoop, who was working at Continental Automotive Components India in Bengaluru, was going to meet his fiancée to give her a surprise when the container on a truck crashed into the KSRTC Volvo bus, in which he was travelling, at Avinashi in Tirupur on Thursday.
Pall of gloom descends on Palakkad
Palakkad: Heart-rending scenes were witnessed at the households of those who lost their lives in the Avinashi accident, in Palakkad on Friday. Funeral rites of all the three accident victims from Palakkad district were held on Friday. The body of Sivakumar, 34, was brought to his home in Mangalamkunnu on Thursday night. The body was cremated at 10.30am at Ivor Madom at Thiruvilwamala. The body of Rosily, 61, of Shanthi Nagar colony, was taken to Divine Providence church at Chandranagar from the house around 11am. Funeral rites were performed under the leadership of Rev Dr Peter Kochupurackal, Auxillary Bishop-designate of Palakkad diocese. The house of Rakesh, 35, of Thiruvegapura, was filled
with sorrow as the body was taken to Punya Theeram Hindu Cemetery at Cheruthuruthy around 9.30am. His elder son Sourav lit the funeral pyre.