Woman whose family was killed in Wayanad landslide loses fiance in car accident

A spokesperson from Dr Moopen Medical College, where Jensen had been admitted, confirmed that he died at 8:50 pm, following a critical struggle with multiple injuries sustained in the accident.

In Short

• Shruti lost her family in Wayanad landslides in July
• Her fiancé Jensen died from car accident injuries on Wednesday
• Jensen's car collided with a bus; Shruti and others survived

As 24-year-old Shruti was still grappling with the loss of her entire family in the catastrophic landslides that hit Kerala's Wayanad district in July, she was dealt with another devastating blow on Wednesday when her fiancé, Jensen, died from injuries sustained in a car accident.

A spokesperson from Dr Moopen Medical College, where Jensen had been admitted, confirmed that he died at 8:50 pm, following a critical struggle with multiple injuries sustained in the accident. The doctors had noted his extremely low vital signs, excessive bleeding from his nose, and severe internal bleeding in his brain, news agency PTI reported.

Jensen's accident occurred on Tuesday when his car collided head-on with a private bus. Shruti and several of Jensen's family members, who were also in the vehicle, sustained injuries but survived the crash. Despite the best efforts of medical staff, Jensen, who worked at a car cleaning company, could not be saved.

The landslide disaster on July 30 claimed the lives of nine of Shruti’s family members, including her parents, Shivanna and Sabitha, and her younger sister, Shreya, in the villages of Chooralmala and Mundakkai in Meppadi panchayat. The calamity left her without any close relatives. Her fiancé, Jensen, with whom she had shared a decade-long relationship, was her sole source of support during this painful time. The couple got engaged on June 2, just weeks before the tragedy.

On August 29, Shruti and Jensen visited the Puthumala crematorium where some of her family members were cremated, reaffirming their commitment to each other in the shadow of immense loss. Days later, their world was again shattered when Jensen was critically injured in a car accident.

The couple, initially planning a large wedding in December, had decided to have a simpler, court-registered marriage in September following the landslide that washed away Shruti’s newly built home, Rs 4 lakh cash, and 15 sovereigns of gold, along with the lives of over 200 people.

Expressing his condolences over the tragic events, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said, “The news is very painful. Nothing can compensate for the losses that occur in the face of disasters. What we can now assure is that this state is with you, Shruti. Condolences to Shruti and Jensen's family. May Shruti be able to overcome the challenges and pain."

(With inputs from PTI)