KOLLAM: In an eerie incident, five persons who returned to Kerala by train from Karnataka were blocked by locals while the former were being taken in an ambulance to Panchayat quarantine centre in Kollamkode.

Following this, they were shifted to another centre. It was four natives of Ambalamkunnu Kollengode and one native of Velamanoor who arrived at Kollam station at around 10 pm. Finally, the police intervened and shifted them to government quarantine centres.

They were workers who had gone to Karnataka in connection with the work of concrete well rings. Velinelloor Panchayat officials had taken a house for rent and converted that into a quarantine centre for accommodating them.

Though Pooyappally police reached the spot and talked to locals, they were not relenting, following which they were shifted to Roduvila Engineering College hostel.

But as it lacked quarantine facilities, they were shifted from there to a government quarantine centre at Kadakkal Chingeli.