Thrikkakara MLA Uma Thomas sustained serious head injuries after a 15-foot fall from the VIP gallery at the Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium in Kaloor on Sunday evening. The incident occurred during the Mridanga Naadam event, a grand spectacle aimed at setting a Guinness World Record with around 12,000 participants performing Bharatanatyam simultaneously.
According to reports, a case has been registered at the Palarivattom police station against the organisers and the contractor responsible for constructing the stage. They are booked under sections 125 (causing harm by negligence), 125(b) (failure to prevent danger to public safety), and 3(5) (abetment of such negligence) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with section 118(e) of the Kerala Police Act, 2011, which pertains to endangering public safety.
The accident happened on a stage temporarily constructed by the event organizers. Uma Thomas, attending as a guest alongside Kerala’s Culture Minister Saji Cheriyan, lost her balance while navigating a narrow pathway in the VIP gallery. The area, cordoned off with queue stands and ribbons, proved hazardous as she tried to steady herself, leading to her fall.
She was immediately rushed to a private hospital in Kochi, where she was placed on ventilator support. Doctors reported that she was brought in an unconscious state and is currently critical.
“Her Glasgow Coma Scale score is 8 out of 15. Scans have revealed brain trauma, a spinal fracture, and rib injuries causing lung damage. She remains unconscious, and her condition is unstable. It will take at least 24 hours to evaluate her response to treatment,” said the medical team attending to her.
Ernakulam District Collector NSK Umesh has ordered an inquiry into potential safety lapses at the stadium. Preliminary findings pointed to insufficient barriers and a lack of proper safety measures in the VIP gallery.
Uma Thomas entered politics in 2022, winning the Thrikkakara by-election following the passing of her husband, former MLA PT Thomas. She secured a historic victory for the Congress, defeating her opponent with a margin of over 25,000 votes.