Death of siblings in Palakkad car fire: Kerala govt sanctions ₹10 lakh aid to family
The district collector later confirmed that the car’s insurance had expired in March and had not been renewed.
The district collector later confirmed that the car’s insurance had expired in March and had not been renewed.
The district collector later confirmed that the car’s insurance had expired in March and had not been renewed.
Palakkad/Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government has sanctioned ₹10 lakh from the Chief Minister’s Disaster Relief Fund (CMDRF) to Elsy Varghese, a nurse from Palakkad who lost her two children after their car caught fire in front of their house. The amount will be transferred to the Palakkad district collector, who will hand it over to Elsy and her family.
The incident happened at Poolakkod, Polpully, on July 11, around 6 pm. Elsy, who was working at Paalana Hospital, Palakkad, had just returned home after duty and was preparing to leave for Chittoor market with her three children and mother. She chose to take their old car, previously used by her late husband Martin, who had died of cancer in May 2025.
Elsy placed her children—Aleena Mariya Martin (10), Alfred Martin (6), and Emil Maria Martin (4)—in the back seat and started the vehicle, while her mother Daisy Varghese (66) was locking the house. The car instantly burst into flames. Daisy rushed to help but also suffered burns. Locals managed to pull the family out of the vehicle, which was completely gutted.
All six were first admitted to Paalana Hospital and later shifted to Medical Centre Hospital, Ernakulam, for advanced treatment. Alfred and Emil succumbed to their injuries the following day.
The district collector later confirmed that the car’s insurance had expired in March and had not been renewed. “It’s known that the vehicle was quite old and possibly unused for some time. Aleena told us from her hospital bed that they had smelled petrol when they got into the car and had even talked about it,” Chittoor police earlier told Onmanorama.