THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A candidate who was campaigning for upcoming local body polls died in a freak mishap after a tree fell over her. Girijakumari, 37, of Bethel House, Uchakkada near Karode is the deceased. The mishap occurred when she was doing door-to-door visits with her husband, Binu. She was the UDF candidate in Puthiya Uchakkada ward under Karode grama panchayat. She was also the Kudumbashree Community Development Society (CDS) chairperson in the panchayat.
The incident occurred around 11.30 am at Pulluvatti near Uchakkada.
Pozhiyoor police officials said that Girijakumari and Binu had been visiting residences in the ward from morning onwards on their motorcycle. The mishap occurred while they were on a narrow byroad at Pulluvatti. The couple were walking back to the main road where they had parked their motorcycle, when the tree, that was chopped down by a group of labourers, fell over her. The tree stood on a private property nearby. The labourers engaged in chopping it down had tethered the tree with a rope to prevent it from falling to the road. Yet the tree fell towards the road despite their best efforts. Girijakumari suffered serious injuries on her head in the mishap. Binu escaped unhurt. Though she was rushed to a hospital nearby, the doctors declared her dead on arrival.
Besides husband, Girijakumari leaves behind two daughters.