Schoolyard bids final farewell to nine staff who lost lives in Valparai crash
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Malappuram: People gathered once again in the schoolyard, but this time for an unimaginable farewell, as mourners from across Kerala arrived to pay their last respects to the teachers and staff from two Pang schools who lost their lives in the Valparai tragedy.
The campus of Ambalaparambu Government High School turned into a site of collective grief, with thousands standing in silence while many broke down.
Following postmortem procedures at a government hospital in Pollachi that concluded early Saturday morning, the bodies were brought to Kerala under police escort and later placed at the school for public homage.
Reports indicated that the mortal remains including those of Kuruva Government LPS headmistress Ajitha, 54; teachers Ramla, 52; Suhara, 43; Asha, 41; and Majeed, 43; school cook Sajitha 45; Shakeena, 37, a teacher at Pang GUP School; Rukhiya, 39, wife of Majeed; and, Suhara’s son Hisham were laid side by side, symbolising the bond they shared in life.
As ambulances arrived, the atmosphere was described as deeply emotional, with mourners struggling to process the scale of the loss. Students, including those from GLPS Kuruva, were seen among the crowd, many appearing confused and heartbroken as they waited for a final glimpse of their teachers.
A young student, Shafin Jahan, was quoted as saying that the school trip had been eagerly planned and that he had almost joined it with his mother, a teacher, but could not due to personal reasons. He added that most of the teachers had taught them over the years and often visited his home, expressing uncertainty about returning to school without them.
Witnesses said men, women, and children stood for hours in the heat to pay their respects, with some fainting and receiving treatment at temporary medical camps. Despite the conditions, the crowd reportedly continued to grow until authorities eventually closed the gates.
After the homage concluded late in the morning, the bodies were handed over to the families for final rites.