KOTTAYAM: Everything was proceeding as usual at Mappathkunnel house at Thalayolaparambu until Thursday afternoon. All of a sudden, the mood went for a toss as 75-year-old Seethalakshmi first learned about the abrupt demise of her beloved daughter Bindu. Initially met with disbelief, the revelation soon gave way to an anguished wail that echoed through the home.
Seethalakshami was inconsolable upon learning that Bindu had died when a portion of the building at the Government Medical College Hospital collapsed on Thursday. Her heart-wrenching cries “Ente mole. Ente muthe...” pierced the air, leaving all present there in profound sorrow.
Although the neighbours were aware of Bindu’s tragic fate, they hesitated to break the news to the elderly mother. Eventually, relatives took it upon themselves to inform Seethalakshmi. Upon hearing her screams, family members and neighbours rushed to her side, desperately trying to offer comfort in the face of such overwhelming grief.
Bindu lived with her husband, Visruthan, her mother Seethalakshmi, and her two children, Navami, 20, and Navaneeth, 22, in a small, unfinished house built on five cents of land inherited from the family. The family relied on Bindu’s modest income from her job at a local textile shop and Visruthan’s work as a mason to make ends meet.
Despite their financial struggles, Bindu and Visruthan were dedicated to their children’s education. Navami is in her final year at a private nursing college in Andhra Pradesh, while Navaneeth had recently completed his engineering studies and is working at a private firm. Bindu and Visruthan had come to the hospital on Tuesday for their daughter’s surgery, and the tragic accident occurred when Bindu went to the bathroom on the third floor of the Surgical Block.
“A situation like this should not arise for any others. Had the rescue operations been a little earlier, she would have survived,” said Visruthan in a shivering voice.