Issa, a notable participant in the Punnol Pettipalam anti-garbage protest in Kannur, Kerala, was tragically killed by a train on Thursday (September 19, 2024) morning. She was 17.

Issa, a student at Wadihuda Higher Secondary School and Ibn Al Haytham Academy in Vilayancode, was found dead after being struck by a passing train.

Daughter of Abdulnazar and Maimuna (Ummulla), resident of Punnol Kurichi, Issa gained attention in 2013 when she, then just six years old, participated with her family in a protest against the Thalassery municipality’s garbage dumping in Punnol Pettipalam, a residential area.

A photograph from the protest, showing police officers using a baton against Issa, sparked widespread controversy at the time.