Teachers among 9 dead as tour bus plunges into gorge in India

In a village where classrooms once echoed with laughter and morning assemblies, silence and sorrow took hold on Saturday as hundreds gathered to bid farewell to nine lives lost in a devastating road accident on the Valparai ghat road.

What began as a leisure trip for a close-knit group of teachers, school staff and their families ended in tragedy, leaving an entire community struggling to come to terms with an irreparable loss.

At the Government Higher Secondary School in Pang, grief unfolded in waves. The school grounds transformed into a sea of mourners, with long queues stretching nearly a kilometre as people waited patiently for hours to pay their last respects.

The mortal remains of nine victims, including headmistress Ajitha, teachers Ramla, Suhara, Asha and Abdul Majeed, Majeed’s wife Rukiya, cooking staff member Sajitha, Suhara’s son Hisham, and another teacher Sakkeena, were placed for public viewing.

Many who entered the premises emerged in tears, some unable to steady themselves and requiring medical attention.

The tragedy struck on Friday evening when the tempo traveller carrying 13 passengers lost control at the 13th hairpin bend on the Pollachi-Valparai route. The vehicle broke through a protective barrier and plunged into a deep gorge.

Nine people died on the spot, while four others, including the driver, sustained injuries and are undergoing treatment in hospitals in Coimbatore, Pollachi in neighbouring Tamil Nadu and Perinthalmanna. The bodies were brought back to Pang in a convoy of ambulances under police escort early Saturday morning, following overnight post-mortem procedures in Pollachi.

As each ambulance arrived at the school, cries of grief pierced the heavy air, growing louder with every passing moment.

For many, the loss was not just personal but communal. “We lived like one family, teachers, parents and the entire village,” said Praseeja, president of the Mother-Teacher Association, recalling how Asha teacher had actively participated in school events, even dancing alongside children during the recent annual day.