Malappuram: The gates of Palliparambu LP School remain closed for vacation, but the silence this time feels different, and heavier.

When the tragic accident at Valparai on Friday claimed the lives of five teachers from the small school, it left behind a void that cannot be measured in numbers. When the school reopens, it will not merely mark the end of holidays, but the beginning of a painful new reality.

At the heart of that reality is Hasnath, now the lone teacher of the LP section. Days before the trip, she had almost joined her colleagues on the journey led by Headmistress Ajitha. A last minute decision to stay back now stands as the line between life and loss. When students return, they will find just one familiar face carrying the weight of many.

“I cannot even think of the day I return to the staff room. I am the only one left,” Hasnath said, recalling her colleagues, Headmistress Ajitha and teachers Ramla, Suhara, Asha, and Abdul Majeed. “Every small memory of our time together brings deep pain.”

Her husband, Nishaf, said the family had initially planned to join the trip. “We had decided to go, but later changed our plans as we were preparing for the Haj pilgrimage. Perhaps it was God’s will that we stayed back,” he said. Their children also study at the same school, sharing a close bond with the teachers who lost their lives.

In the school’s KG section, two teachers, Yasoda and Raseena, continue as contract staff appointed by the PTA. Yasoda, who chose not to join the trip early on, recalls the decision with anguish. “We were always together. I had first decided to go, but later backed out. Now this sorrow is unbearable,” she said, breaking down while paying her last respects.

General Education Minister V Sivankutty has already announced that the government will take urgent steps to fill the vacancies before the school reopens.

“The school was recently redeveloped with new facilities. Losing almost the entire teaching staff is unimaginable,” said Ali Kili Veetil, PTA president. “We do not know how students will cope when they return after the vacation.”

Managed by the Kuruva Grama Panchayat, local authorities have said they will urge the government to expedite procedures to ensure the smooth functioning of the school.