Lone survivor to be shifted to Vellore

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The State Cabinet on Wednesday decided to provide expert treatment to Irfan, the lone survivor of the Karikkakom van tragedy. It has been decided to shift Irfan to Christian Medical College, Vellore. Irfan has been lying in coma ever since the accident took place and the parents had urged the Government to help them in providing expert treatment for the kid. Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said after the Cabinet meeting that the full treatment expenses of Irfan will be met by the Government. This has been informed to the parents of Irfan and the Government will make necessary arrangements to shift Irfan to Vellore. Irfan is the lone survivor in the school van tragedy that occurred earlier this year killing six kindergarten children and a caretaker. The school van had plunged into the Parvathy Puthanar canal near Chakkai on February 17. The incident had led to the closure of the kindergarten and the district administration had later introduced strict guidelines for operating school buses. The tragedy had claimed the lives of Malavika, Achu, Arsha, Ujjwal and Jinu. Razik, who had been in hospital with Irfan, had succumbed a few days later. Following the tragedy, it was pointed out that the road gradually sloped into the river, and there was no protective fencing to prevent accidents.The extremely-polluted condition of the Parvathy Puthanar - much of the waste generated by the capital city is indiscriminately dumped into this water body - had also been cited as one of the causes of the deaths. Doctors had later confirmed infection in the young victims owing to contact with the polluted water. The Cabinet had earlier sanctioned Rs 1.25 crore for constructing a protection wall along the banks of the Parvathy Puthanar at Karikkakom, near Chakkai, where the school van had plunged into the canal.Chandy himself had visited the house of Irfan and had assured of all help to save the life of the lone survivor.