Kumbakonam school fire tragedy still haunts parents

94 children were killed in the fire that occurred at Sri Krishna High School 10 years ago

“Forever in our hearts” – read a caption on a large flex board displaying photographs of the 94 children whose lives were snuffed out in the towering inferno at the Sri Krishna High School in Kumbakonam exactly a decade ago.

The photographs of the innocent victims on the mega board decked up with flowers and installed in front of the defunct school building on the Kasiraman street, moved even the passersby who paused for a moment taking a look at the photographs with a heavy heart.

Unable to control her grief, S. Jayalakshmi who lost her eight-year-old son Neelankandan in the tragedy weeps inconsolably staring at the photographs. “Enna Petha Amma,” she cries aloud beating her head and chest and faints. Years might have passed, but my son’s innocent face is still afresh in my memory. I left my son in the school on that fateful day only to learn about his death moments later,” she says unable to control her tears.

Similar was the feeling of other grief-stricken parents who had all assembled on the street, where a shamiana was erected, to pay floral tributes to their loved ones.

The parents lighted candles beneath the board and showered petals on the photographs one after the other. Many of them placed biscuit packets, chocolates, fruits and cake pieces under the board.

Ten years had passed since the accident occurred, nevertheless the tragedy continues to haunt the parents of the.

“July 16 is one date which I and the parents of the other 93 victims can never forget,” says Inbaraj who lost his two sons – Anandaraj (10) and Praveen Raj (8) in the tragedy.

The incident had completely shattered Inbaraj and wife Christy as they could only notice the charred bodies of their sons on that “Aadi” Friday in 2004. With the passage of time, the grief is supposed to wane. But, I have started feeling the pain even more now, says Inbaraj.

“Today my son would have been studying in a college had he been alive. But, the tragedy snuffed out his life,” said Mahesh whose son Vignesh perished in the fire.

It is not only the parents of the victims who paid floral tributes to their loved ones, but also the survivors of the tragedy, schoolchildren, residents of the town, legal fraternity and members of political parties.

The parents later went to the memorial established in memory of the children at Palakkarai and paid their tributes on the 10th anniversary.