Kerala - Kollam   

A tragedy still fresh in memory

Photo: C. Suresh Kumar

Painful past: Santhamma, mother of Perumon tain accident victim Muraleedharan Nair, paying tributes at the Perumon Smrithi Mandapam on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the tragedy on Tuesday. –

KOLLAM: Heart-rending scenes were witnessed at the site of the Perumon train accident when the 20th anniversary of the tragedy was observed on Tuesday.

A solemn programme was organised by the Perumon Train Tragedy Commemoration Committee.

The programme began with the relatives of the victims and others paying floral tributes at the Perumon Smrithi Mandapam, a column constructed by the side of the Perumon bridge in memory of those who lost their lives in the accident.

Santhamma, mother of accident victim Muraleedharan Nair, was at the Smrithi Mandapam for 20th consecutive year to offer her tributes.

Some of the relatives of the victims who had not come to the site in the past due to emotional problems made it for this anniversary.

They were in tears and recalled touching memories. One of them was Agnes Jerome, residing at Neendakara. She lost her son Jose in the tragedy.

Ms. Jerome arrived there with her son’s wife and his two daughters for the first time.

Wiping tears she said that Jose who was employed in Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited, Bangalore, boarded the train from Bangalore with the sole intention of meeting her.

The tragedy was so shocking that she wanted to avoid having even a glimpse of the accident site all these years. Her arrival there on Tuesday probably signals that she has overcome the shock after two decades.

Shyamdas was just five days old when the tragedy happened.

His father, Devadas, was killed in the accident. Devadas was on the way home to see his newborn son. Twenty-year-old Shyamdas is now an engineering student. He said that he is visiting the accident site for the first time.

Addressing the commemoration programme, Education Minister M.A. Baby said he was his highly indebted to the people of Perumon for saving the life of his wife and son.

Both of them were on the train that met with the accident. People of Perumon rescued the two and rushed them to the hospital.

He said he would take up with the authorities the issue of resuming the Thiruvananthapuram-Perumon KSRTC fast passenger service.

Talks would also be held with the Health Department officers for starting in-patient facilities at the train accident memorial ward in the Perumon Primary Health Centre. The ward was inaugurated 18 years ago.

At the function the Minister presented a memento and honoured Neela Gangadharan who was the Kollam District Collector at the time of the accident.

Her leadership in the rescue and relief operations was highly praised.

The function was presided over by State vice-chairman of the Indian Red Cross Society N. Sudheendran.

District Collector A. Shajahan inaugurated a free homoeo medical camp.

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