The funeral of five children drowned in a river near Payyavur here on May 28 was held in a local church on Monday, with grieving parents, relatives and large number of people bidding tearful adieu to the deceased.
The funeral of the bodies of Orija, Seban, Akhil, Ayal and Manik Binoy, who drowned in Chamathachal river while bathing there on Saturday afternoon, took place at St. Francis of Assissi Church at Tirur near Payyavur in the afternoon. The bodies were brought to Payyavur from the Pariyaram Medical College Hospital in the morning. Payyavur was grief-stricken as large number of people, including relatives and political leaders, reached the spot to pay homage to the deceased children.
Orija, 12, and Seban, 7, were children of Akkamparambil Salijan and Sheeja, Akhil, 15, and Ayal, 12, were children of Jose and A. Anitha, sister of Salijan, and Manik,12, was the child of Binoy, their neighbour.
The bodies of the deceased children were kept for public viewing in their schools Payyavur St. Ann’s School and Sacred Heart School before they were taken to their houses at around 11:30 a.m. Among those who laid wreaths on the bodies included former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee president V.M. Sudheeran, former Minister K.C. Joseph and District Collector P. Bal Kiran.
