Tribal woman's body carried in autorickshaw for funeral at Wayanad

Tribal department authorities couldn't arrange an ambulance and hence the family carried the body in an autorickshaw to the public crematorium .

Thiruvananthapuram: The body of an 80-year-old woman from a tribal community had to be carried for funeral in an autorickshaw owing to unavailability of ambulance.

The disrespectful incident took place at Wayanad in Kerala.

Chundamma, 80, of Edavaka grama panchayat died of old age ailments on Sunday night. The family waited till Monday afternoon for an ambulance. But the tribal department authorities could not arrange an ambulance and hence the family carried the body in an autorickshaw to the public crematorium situated nearly four kilometres away.

The incident took place in Mananthavady assembly constituency which is represented by SC.ST welfare minister O R Kelu. The tribal promoter of the region is likely to face action. Congress-led United Democratic Front staged a protest against the lapse.

Edavaka panchayat president Ahammed Kutty Bran told DH that the tribal promoter kept the panchayat in the dark about the unavailability of ambulances and hence alternative arrangements could not be made.

The tribal department only has two ambulances. Both are often engaged for transporting patients as Mananthavady has a high population of tribal community members.