The bodies of all three Keralites who died in a fire at an apartment building in Bochum, Germany, were brought to Kerala on Friday, October 23, 2026, and handed over to their relatives.

The victims were Shivin Jony, 26, from Kalady in Ernakulam district; Anjali Sheela Joy, 27, from Chemmakkad in Kollam district; and Noah Sabu, 25, from Erattayar near Kattappana in Idukki district.

The bodies of Shivin Jony and Anjali Sheela Joy arrived at Cochin International Airport early on Friday morning. Relatives, elected representatives and representatives of NORKA Roots, the welfare agency for non-resident Keralites, received the bodies. After the necessary formalities were completed, they were taken to their hometowns in hearses.

Although Noah Sabu’s body had earlier been expected to arrive on Friday night, it was subsequently brought to Kochi on another flight that night. After airport formalities were completed, it was handed over to relatives and taken to his hometown in Idukki district.

Shivin Jony’s body was first taken to a hospital in Aluva and, after the necessary arrangements, to his home at Manickamangalam near Kalady. He was buried following final prayers on Friday afternoon. Anjali Sheela Joy’s body was also taken to her hometown in Kollam.

Officials said NORKA Roots coordinated the arrangements to bring the bodies from Germany to Kerala.

The tragedy occurred in the early hours of October 13 in the Hofstede area of Bochum, in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Firefighters received an emergency call at about 4.15 a.m. after a fire broke out in an apartment building occupied by several families.

Flames and dense smoke spread through the stairwell, making it extremely difficult for residents to leave by the usual route and for rescuers to enter. Some residents called for help from windows and were evacuated using ladders and other rescue equipment.

During firefighting and search operations, the three victims were found dead inside an apartment. Five other people suffered smoke inhalation and were taken to hospitals.

German police arrested a 41-year-old man who lived in the same building in connection with the fire. Bochum police and the public prosecutor’s office said preliminary investigations conducted with the assistance of a fire expert had ruled out the possibility of a technical fault causing the blaze.

As the investigation proceeded on suspicion of murder, subsequent reports said the arrested man had denied the allegations against him. The precise cause of the fire and the circumstances surrounding it remain under investigation; the allegations against the suspect must not be regarded as having been proved in court.

All three victims were young people who had moved to Germany relatively recently. Reports said Shivin Jony had arrived there only about two weeks before the incident, while Anjali had been working for a warehousing-related company in the country. Noah Sabu, who had worked as a fitness trainer, had also gone to Germany in search of employment opportunities.

Relatives, friends and members of the public paid their respects after the bodies were brought to their hometowns.