Fate could not have dealt a more severe blow to the family of the man killed after his autorickshaw collided with a sambar deer and turned upside down, trapping him beneath with fatal consequences.
On Monday night, Vigil P.N., a 41-year-old autorickshaw driver, took up one more trip to take a patient to a hospital in Kothamangalam before calling it a day, but it proved to be his last. He was the sole breadwinner of his family comprising his wife Remya, daughters Athulya and Aradhya, aged 11 and 9 respectively, and his mother Sarala Narayanan, who is ailing from cancer.
Operating an autorickshaw has been his main source of livelihood for a while. A few rubber trees planted on his house premises supplemented his income in a meagre way. Earlier, he used to farm various crops extensively on his property around his house. “But that changed since elephant invasion in the area became frequent, leaving his crops damaged. His property was among those which used to be invaded by elephants,” said Sreeja Biju, member of the Mamalakandam ward of Kuttampuzha panchayat where Vigil lived.
She said the family would require substantial help to even survive since the deceased was their sole breadwinner. Vigil is the latest victim of human-animal conflicts reported from across the State at an alarming rate of late.
Kothamangalam MLA Antony John and District Collector N.S.K. Umesh were among those who visited the family of the deceased on Tuesday.
