Pala: Five friends were killed in a car accident near Manathoor Church between Thodupuzha and Pala in southern Kerala. The accident occurred on a stretch of Thodupuzha-Pala Highway in Kottayam district at 6.30pm yesterday.
The vehicle was racing with another from Kurinji, police claimed.
Eyewitnesses said the car, which went out of control, first hit a shop, then a tree and toppled, killing five of its six occupants. No one in the shop was hurt.
The dead have been identified as Kadanad Iruvelikkunnel Pramod Soman (31) Kizhakkekara Vishnuraj (Appoos-28), Malleparambil MP Ullas (38), Arakkaparambil Sudhi George (Jithu-28) and Vellilappally Naduvilekunnu Jobins K George (27).
Pramod, Vishnuraj and Jobins reportedly died on the spot.
Another person, Anthinad Malayil Prabhath (25), is admitted to the ICU at Kottayam Medical College Hospital with serious injuries.
Four of them were thrown out of the vehicle as it crashed. They were taken to Pala General Hospital by locals and Ramapuram Police. Two, including driver Jobins, were trapped inside the mangled car. The vehicle was cut open to take them out.
They were proceeding towards Pala from the Thodupuzha side when the fatal mishap happened. The front of the car caught fire due to the impact.
Businessmen and labourer among casualties
Son of Joy and Leelamma, Jobins was a wholesale footwear dealer. Their family had moved to Vellilappally from Kadanad in Kottayam district five years ago.
Son of Raju and Anila, Vishnuraj sold gym equipment. He married Nayana from Kezhuvankulam three months ago. Kannan is brother.
Son of Soman and Radha, Pramod is a construction worker.
Sudhi, son of George and Sudha, was a driver in Ernakulam. Salila is wife. They have a 6-month-old child. Meenukutti is sister.
Ullas was an autorickshaw driver. Wife Indu; children Abhinav and Abhirami. Mother Omana.
Broken dreams
Vishnuraj had started his life with Nayana only three months ago. She had completed ITC before the wedding in January. Her relatives had visited Vishnu’s house yesterday, after which he joined his friends for the trip.
Jobins’s father Joy burst out into tears at the hospital. Jobins was about to get married. Jobins had dropped him and his mother Leelamma, at a retreat in Pala on April 6. Leelamma had returned the same evening since Jobins was alone at home. She had returned to the retreat yesterday morning after cooking food for him. Both father and mother collapsed as they heard of the accident. Manju (Karunapuram) and Sino (Canada) are siblings. The couple had lost another son, Jormine, earlier.
Together in life and death
The dead were friends from their schooldays at Kadanad St Sebastian’s School. They played football and spent evenings together. They engaged in some political activism too. Despite moving to Vellilappally, Jobins kept the friendship.
The gang started their journey at 11am yesterday and met other friends. Ullas had joined them in the car just before the accident, it is learnt. Pramod was to get married next month.
Jose K Mani, MP, visited the site of accident.
Danger spot
The infamous Ainkombu bus tragedy happened just three kilometres from the accident spot. Twenty-two people died when a bus crashed and caught fire on 22 October 1988, becoming one of the worst accidents in the state’s history.
Prasanth bus had crashed on its way from Pala to Thodupuzha near Aaram Mile. It had hit a telephone pole in front of a bus stop, veered right to slam into a curb and toppled, catching fire instantly.
Sixteen died on the spot and 6 others later, including an infant. Many sustained severe burn injuries. It took days to identify some bodies. It was found later that a can filled with petrol onboard spread the fire.
