Nisa, the mother of three-year-old Rithuvedha, who was killed after a tempo traveller rolled over her at Amboori in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday evening, allegedly attempted to end her life unable to bear her child's death.

The Aryancode police said Nisa was deeply distressed by the tragic accident and tried to take her own life. She was initially taken to a nearby hospital and later shifted to the Neyyar Medicity hospital. Doctors said her condition was stable, and she was discharged on Monday after receiving treatment.

Rithuvedha, the daughter of Anu Prasad and Nisa, natives of Kuttiyanikkodu in Aryancode, died around 5.30 pm on the Kurichikkad bridge during a family outing.

She was part of a 12-member group that had travelled to the area on a tempo traveller. The vehicle was parked on the bridge, which has a slope, with the handbrake engaged. Family members had stepped out of the vehicle and were dancing on the road while music was being played from inside the van.

Police said the music suddenly stopped, prompting Rithuvedha's father to get into the vehicle, release the handbrake and start the engine. He then stepped out to rejoin the others.

However, the handbrake was not properly engaged, causing the vehicle to roll forward.

"Seeing the vehicle move, he rushed back and tried to stop it by pulling the handbrake, but was unsuccessful. By then, the van had run over the child before crashing into the bridge barricade and coming to a halt," a police officer said. Rithuvedha sustained critical injuries and was rushed to a nearby hospital, where she was declared dead.