A screen grab image of the accident site (@sirajnoorani/X)

Malappuram, April 18: The state of Kerala is engulfed in sorrow following a tragic road accident in Valparai that resulted in the loss of nine lives, deeply affecting a local village and its school community.

On Saturday morning, the remains of the victims were returned to their hometown of Perinthalmanna, where a large crowd gathered to pay their respects and say goodbye.

Ambulances transporting the deceased arrived at the Pang Ambalapparamba Government Higher Secondary School around 9:15 A.M. after the postmortem was conducted in Pollachi earlier that day.

A multitude of mourners, including students, colleagues, and local residents, had already assembled, many struggling to cope with the tragic news.

The bodies were displayed for public viewing for about an hour before funeral processions took them to their homes.

Burial services are expected to conclude before noon.

This incident has particularly impacted the educational community at Pang.

Out of the eight teachers at the school, five, including headmistress P. Ajitha and teacher Abdul Majeed, were among the deceased, leaving the institution in a state of shock.

The once close-knit faculty has now dwindled to just four members, leaving the school feeling abandoned.

The victims were part of a group of 13 from Pang Pallipparamba Government LP School on a leisure trip.

After visiting Athirappilly and Valparai on Friday evening, their vehicle lost control at the 13th hairpin bend on the ghat road around 5:15 P.M., overturning and falling nearly 500 feet into a gorge.

Nine individuals, including seven women and a child, either died at the scene or later in the hospital.

Four others were injured, with two, Mohammed Faiz and Noushad Ali, in critical condition at Coimbatore Medical College.

Other survivors, including young students, are receiving treatment, with medical staff closely monitoring their recovery.

Minister V. Sivankutty and other senior leaders, including P.K. Kunhalikutty and Panakkad Sadiqali Shihab Thangal, visited the school to express their condolences.

The government has pledged to cover medical expenses for the injured, provide financial support to the families of the deceased, and arrange counseling for affected students.

New teachers will be appointed before the upcoming academic year.

As the community of Pang mourns, the absence of those who once filled classrooms and homes with joy is profoundly felt.

A journey that began with happiness has concluded in profound sorrow, leaving behind memories that will endure long after the final farewells.