Two villages in the district witnessed two mass funerals on Monday when hundreds of people bid a tearful farewell to the eight
persons who were killed in Sunday’s gruesome accident involving an ambulance and a lorry at Thannissery near Koduvayur.
Four victims each were from Nemmara and Vadanamkurussi. Grief and inconsolable sorrow shrouded both villages as the bodies of the eight men were brought to their homes after post-mortem formalities on Monday.
The bodies of Nasar, 45, Subair, 38, Favas, 17, and Umer Farook, 20 – all of them members of a family – were brought to their ancestral home at Velutheri, Vadanamkurussi, by mid-day.
V.K. Sreekandan, MP, Mohammed Muhsin, MLA, Shafi Parambil, MLA, and several political leaders were among those who paid tributes to the victims.
The body of Umer Farook was taken to Vettikkattiri for burial.
The other three bodies were interred at Pokkupadi Juma Masjid graveyard at Vadanamkurussi.
Nemmara, about 60 km away from Vadanamkurussi, too witnessed similar emotions when the bodies of Sudheer, 39, Nikhil, 22, Vaishakh, 25, and Shivan, 45, were brought for funeral.
Ambulance driver Sudheer’s body was brought to his home after post-mortem on Sunday night. He was buried at Attuvai Juma Masjid graveyard at Chathamangalam.
The bodies of Nilkhil, Vaishakh and Shivan were brought to their homes on Monday morning.
The funeral of Nikhil, Vaishakh and Shivan took place at a public crematorium at Nemmara.