Kerala family's weekend Bengaluru trip ends in tragedy, Palakkad village mourns siblings' death

A family of nine had dinner with their relatives in Bengaluru and said their “goodbyes” before returning home to Panamana in Palakkad. But the journey ended abruptly after a truck rammed into their car, killing two family members.

The accident occurred shortly after midnight on Monday, when the car carrying 59-year-old Ravindran, his wife Parvathi (52), their son Deepak (27), twin daughters Remya and Divya (34), Divya’s husband Vineeth (42), their children Abhindev (12) and Akhildev (9), and Vineeth’s mother Sarojini (68), was hit by a goods lorry.

After travelling about 100 kilometres from Bengaluru, the car suffered a tyre puncture near Krishnagiri in Tamil Nadu. The family promptly parked the vehicle on the roadside, away from the highway, and three members stepped out, hoping to quickly replace the tyre with the spare and continue their journey.

“Divya, Vineeth and Deepak stepped outside to fix the puncture. After changing the tyre, they were loading the punctured one into the boot of the car when a truck rammed into them,” Anilkumar, the ward member of Panamana, told Onmanorama.

The family had the day all planned out. Deepak, who worked in the Merchant Navy, had been home on leave for two weeks. With all the family members in town, they decided to embark on a weekend getaway. Since Parvathi’s sister’s son worked at a Bengaluru-based IT firm, the city became their destination of choice. The travel arrangements were made using an Ertiga available through Vineeth’s company.

“Vineeth’s mother, Sarojini, lived alone. So when the family planned the trip, they invited her along,” Suresh, the family’s neighbour, told Onmanorama.

The family left Palakkad on Saturday. They toured the city and spent time with their relatives before having dinner with them and departing around 11 pm on Sunday.

According to Giri, Ravindran’s elder brother, the car had been parked properly on the side of the road, but the stretch was narrow as it was close to the entrance of an overbridge.

“They had even put up a signal indicating that repair work was underway. But the lorry driver must have fallen asleep. We don’t know why they did not see the car,” Giri told Onmanorama.

Divya and Deepak were rushed to Krishnagiri Medical College, but doctors declared them brought dead, he added.

“Sarojini sustained serious injuries and is on ventilator support. Meanwhile, her son Vineeth fractured his leg. Both Parvathi and Remya suffered severe bruises and are unable to move because of the pain,” Giri said. “Thankfully, the children sustained only minor injuries,” he added.

What has become even more unbearable than the physical pain is the grief. Despite their injuries, all the family members except Sarojini arrived at Giri’s residence on Tuesday, where the last rites were performed.

“Now that Deepak and Divya have been laid to rest, the family will return to the hospital and seek proper treatment for their injuries. Until now, they have all been in a state of shock,” Giri told Onmanorama.

According to him, the family is currently undergoing treatment at the PK DAS Institute of Medical Sciences in Ottapalam.