Mother held infant son's hand tight even in death in flood-hit Kerala

The lifeless bodies of a mother and here infant child recovered in a position holding their hands tightly left many a rescue personnel teary eyed at nearby Kottakkunnu, a hilly area which had been rocked by massive landslides two days ago.

It was believed that the woman, Geethu, 21, was lying with her one and half year-old son Dhruv, holding his hand when the unexpected flood fury and landslide had swept them away on Friday afternoon. After hours-long search, the bodies of Geethu, wife of Sarath, and the child were recovered by rescue personnel on Sunday. It was heart-wrenching for local people and the rescue officials to see the bodies of the mother and child beneath the piles of mud and slush, their hands clasped together.

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While Sarath had escaped unhurt, the body of his mother, Sarojini was recovered on Monday. Sarath and family were staying in a rented house at Kottakkunnu, a fragile area in Malappuram, which had witnessed widespread destruction in the heavy rains and series of landslides last week.