Kollam, KERALA :

Heartrending scenes were witnessed when the actor hugged siblings Krishna and Kishore who lost their parents in the disaster.

Film actor Mammootty undertook one of his most poignant roles in real life when he arrived at Paravur on Tuesday to comfort the traumatised victims of the Puttingal fireworks tragedy.

As he addressed the victims at the Kottapuram LP School hall in the township, Mammootty even whimpered and that had a relay effect on the audience, especially the victims.

The actor, who arrived there shortly after noon, spent more than an hour with the victims.

The gathering was jointly organised by the Puttingal Nagar Residents Association, the Mammootty Fans Association and the Patanjali Herbal Exports Private Limited.

Heartrending scenes were witnessed at the venue when the actor hugged the siblings Krishna and Kishore who had lost their parents in the tragedy.

He was seen comforting 21-year-old Surumi who had lost her husband Vishnu in the tragedy. Carrying her one-and-a-half-year-old son, she burst into tears as the cine star approached her.

The actor said comforting the victims was a herculean task. Still, if his presence there could make a little contribution, it would be precious to him, he said.

“The tragedy at Puttingal has no comparison.”

The thrust now should be the rehabilitation of the victims, especially helping them overcome their mental shock. “This is one tragedy in which the living victims cannot be comforted by mere words alone,” he said

Fireworks are a dangerous entertainment which should always be enjoyed from a safe distance, he added.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Kerala / by Special Correspondent / Kollam – April 20th, 2016