Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday said that 575 people from the state were still in Jammu and Kashmir following the terror attack in Pahalgam, which claimed the lives of 26 people, including that of a Malayali tourist. 

The state government has made arrangements for their safe return, Vijayan said in a Facebook post, adding that assistance, including medical aid, is available for those in need. "Arrangements are in place to provide travel assistance, medical aid, and food to those in need. Assistance is also available for those arriving in Delhi, including ticket booking for onward journeys," he said. 

Condemning the incident, the CM said that innocent tourists were killed in Pahalgam, describing it as an attack against humanity. "The attack in Pahalgam was a shocking act of violence. We must unitedly fight against such attacks and the hate propaganda that fuels them. Let us stand together with a firm resolve that another Pahalgam will never happen again," he said. 

Vijayan also extended condolences to the family of N Ramachandran, who was killed in the attack. "The fact that one of the victims is a Malayali doubles our grief. We share the sorrow of the family of the deceased, N Ramachandran," he said.