A three-year-old child died after an ambulance ferrying him to a hospital was stuck in a massive traffic jam near Kottiyoor in Kannur, Kerala, on Saturday (June 14, 2025).
Prajul of Palchuram Unnati, who was suffering from a congenital brain condition, reportedly died before reaching Manathavady Medical College Hospital in Wayanad district.
The ambulance from Kottiyoor Primary Health Centre took nearly three-and-a-half hours to reach the child’s house, a route that normally takes just 10 minutes. Despite efforts to rush him to the Manathavady hospital, the vehicle was again caught in a long traffic pile-up at Palchuram, resulting in an additional two-hour delay.
Officials said that the traffic congestion was caused by the temple festival at Kottiyoor, which saw a huge influx of devotees over the weekend. A stretch of nearly 15 km reportedly remained jammed for the past two days.
Local residents blamed the tragedy on the lack of proper traffic management and inadequate parking facilities.
“The authorities failed to anticipate the crowd and control vehicle movement, especially during the rain,” said a resident.
With heavy showers worsening conditions, many devotees were seen walking several kilometers to reach the temple.
The incident has sparked widespread anger, with local residents demanding immediate intervention to ensure that emergency vehicles were not affected during such mass gatherings.
Published – June 16, 2025 09:34 am IST
