By IANS,
Kottayam : Two nurses, who died while saving the lives of patients during a devastating fire at a Kolkata hospital last week, were accorded state funerals in Kerala Monday.
The funeral of Remya Rajappan, 24, took place near Uzhavoor in Kottayam district, of P.K. Vineetha, 23, was held at a church in Karumalloor in Ernakulam district.
Chief Minister Oommen Chandy Sunday night announced that the funerals of the two nurses would be conducted with full state honours.
Chandy, accompanied by Minister of Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi and four state ministers, was present at the airport to receive the bodies Sunday night.
“The next cabinet meeting will decide on the compensation that would be given to the families of the two nurses,” said Chandy.
The government’s Chief Whip in the state assembly P.C. George, who took part in the funerals of both nurses, said that they hailed from poor families and he was expecting that the cabinet would announce an ex-gratia payment of Rs.10 lakh each.
The two nurses had recently joined the Advanced Medicare & Research Institute Hospital in Kolkata where 93 people were killed in the fire tragedy Friday.
Vineetha’s mother, Mary, a kidney patient, had to be admitted to the hospital after hearing the news of her daughter’s death.