Tripunithura road accident: Eyewitness slams emergency response system

Kochi: A road accident in Tripunithura has raised serious concerns about the efficiency of emergency response systems after two youngsters lost their lives in the early hours of Monday.
Nanda J Devan, an eyewitness to the accident, shared her account on Instagram, criticizing the 30-minute delay in ambulance arrival and the inadequate lighting at the accident site, which almost caused other vehicles to run over the victims.
"They were traveling at a high speed and one of them was not wearing a helmet. I managed to call the emergency number, where a police officer answered and connected me to the 108-ambulance service," she wrote in her post, describing the moments leading to the crash.
After calling the emergency number, she encountered a frustrating series of questions, including a claim that no ambulances were available and a request to identify the jurisdiction of the accident. She noted that responders suggested transporting the victims to a hospital, but she and others present were unable to do so due to the victims' severe injuries, which required professional medical attention.
Around 20 local residents arrived to assist but were similarly unable to act because of the victims' conditions. Eventually, police reached the scene, followed shortly by the ambulance, but by then, critical time had already been lost.
Nanda concluded her post with anguish, reflecting on the loss of life and the systemic delays. "It breaks my heart to know that more could not be done to save them due to the system we live in," she wrote. The youths who died in the accident on the Mathur Railway Overbridge, Nadama, were identified as Subin S (19) of Kollam and Nivedhitha K (21) of Meppadi, Wayanad.