Kerala tea seller gives mundu to cover injured woman after Tripunithura bus accident

CCTV footage from Tripunithura, Kerala, shows tea vendor M R Shaji responding quickly after a woman fell under a private bus at Statue Junction. As her clothes were torn and she was unable to stand, he handed over his own mundu so she could be covered and taken to hospital safely.

CCTV footage from Tripunithura in Kerala showed a tea seller helping an injured woman. The video spread fast online and drew wide praise. The woman’s clothes tore after a road accident at Statue Junction on Tuesday. The tea seller gave the woman his own mundu dhoti to cover up.

The accident happened when the woman fell beneath a private bus at the busy junction. Bystanders rushed in and pulled the woman to safety. The woman survived by a narrow margin. People nearby noticed the woman could not stand due to injuries and had torn clothing.

CCTV footage shows tea seller M R Shaji giving mundu dhoti

Among the first to act was M R Shaji, a local tea vendor near the junction. Shaji removed the mundu dhoti being worn and handed it to the injured woman. The mundu helped cover the woman before the woman was taken for treatment. The act was recorded clearly by nearby CCTV cameras.

Shaji later described what happened in an interview with reporters on Wednesday. "She was unable to stand on her feet because of her injuries when she was pulled out from beneath the bus. Her clothes had been torn apart. So I did not think twice. With the help of a friend, I removed my mundu, as it was fastened with a belt, and gave it to her so that she could be taken to hospital safely,\" Shaji told reporters on Wednesday.

Social media reaction to tea seller’s mundu dhoti gesture

After the CCTV clip circulated, many social media users praised Shaji’s quick thinking. Several posts highlighted respect for the woman’s dignity during a distressing moment. Many users also said the small gesture stood out more than the crash itself. The incident was shared widely across platforms.

While onlookers remained shaken by the bus accident, the response by Shaji became the main focus online. The attention moved beyond the local area as more people watched the footage. Many viewers described the moment as a sign of compassion during an emergency. The episode remained widely discussed after Tuesday.

With inputs from PTI