Man's timely act averted major tragedy at Attukal Pongala, witness recounts following devotee's death

Kozhikode: The tragic death of 52-year-old Vijisha, who suffered severe burn injuries while participating in the Attukal Pongala festival a week ago, has once again raised questions about safety arrangements at one of the world's largest gatherings of women devotees.

Yet amid the chaos that unfolded when her saree caught fire from a pongala hearth in the row behind her, a quick and decisive act by a bystander prevented what could have turned into a far more devastating accident.

As flames spread rapidly across Vijisha’s clothing and panic rippled through the tightly packed rows of devotees, the unidentified man rushed forward and emptied a bucket of water over her, dousing the flames and preventing the fire from spreading to nearby participants and hundreds of clay hearths around them. According to a witness to the incident, the man's swift intervention likely averted a larger tragedy in an area where thousands of women were cooking in close proximity.

Vijisha, a native of West Hill in Kozhikode, had travelled to Thiruvananthapuram with a group of women to participate in the ritual at the Attukal Devi Temple. The group had arrived on Sunday evening and stayed at KTDC's Chaithram Hotel opposite the Thampanoor railway station. They had even secured space for their hearths the previous night, hoping to conduct the offering without difficulty.

However, the situation changed drastically by morning. Several other groups who had stayed in nearby hotels and lodges began claiming the same space, leading to overcrowding and the hurried arrangement of multiple rows of hearths in a confined area.

"We believed we had found a proper place to set up our hearth in front of the hotel," said Bhagya, one of Vijisha's companions. "But by morning, more groups started arriving and claiming the same area. Though volunteers and local organisations tried to intervene, they couldn't control the crowd. Eventually, we were forced to arrange the hearths in whatever little space was left."

According to Bhagya, Vijisha ended up sitting in a spot where another row of hearths had been set up directly behind her. The hearths were placed very close together, making the area unbearably hot.

"From the beginning of the offering, Vijisha was uncomfortable because of the intense heat coming from the hearths behind her. She kept standing up and walking towards our side to get some relief, as we had only a single row of hearths. But she would quickly return because she wanted to complete the ritual," Bhagya recalled.

The scorching sun, thick smoke from hundreds of hearths and the suffocating heat made conditions extremely difficult for devotees.

"We could barely keep our eyes open because of the smoke," she said. "Suddenly, Vijisha stood up and we noticed that her saree had caught fire. Within moments the flames spread across her body. She began running in panic and we all ran behind her, not knowing how to save her. We were helpless. The fire spread so quickly that no one could even go near her.”

As chaos erupted and people struggled to react, a man sitting nearby rushed forward with a bucket of water and poured it over Vijisha, extinguishing the flames.

She was immediately taken to the Government General Hospital in Thiruvananthapuram and later shifted to the Government Medical College Hospital. Vijisha had suffered about 27 per cent burn injuries and remained in the intensive care unit for five days. On Saturday, she was moved to a private hospital in Kozhikode for further treatment. However, her condition worsened and she passed away on Monday morning.

Her relatives have lodged a complaint with the Nadakkavu police in Kozhikode, alleging lapses in the organisation of the event.

Bhagya said the tragedy could have been avoided if proper precautions had been taken. "The hearths were arranged dangerously close to each other. Authorities should have ensured a proper system to regulate people and maintain safe distances between hearths,” she said, adding that the combined heat of the sun and the hearths made the situation extremely dangerous.

Vijisha's husband, Dinesh Kumar, also alleged that safety lapses led to the accident. "The fire spread to Vijisha's clothes from a hearth placed behind her. There was not enough distance between the pongala hearths. Steps must be taken to ensure that such accidents do not happen again," he said.

Meanwhile, Thiruvananthapuram Corporation Mayor V.V. Rajesh said the authorities would take precautionary measures in the coming years to avoid such incidents during the festival. "The crowd for Pongala is likely to increase further. The Corporation is considering introducing strict rules mandating a fixed distance between two hearths from next year onward," he said.

Minister V Sivankutty also expressed regret over the incident and said an investigation would be conducted. Thampanoor police will complete the inquest proceedings in Kozhikode before conducting the post-mortem and shifting the body to the mortuary.

Vijisha's two children are currently abroad, and the family said the funeral will be held only after they arrive. The sudden loss has left relatives, friends and fellow devotees in deep shock — a tragic reminder of how a moment of devotion turned into an irreversible tragedy.