A group of British officials stuck in Malabar, including District Magistrate Austin, called for rescue.

The British forces left Kozhikkode for Pookkottur in 22 lorries and 25 cycles under Captain McEnroy and Superintendent of Police Malappuram CB Lancaster.

When the smoke dissipated, about ten soldiers walked towards Pilakkal under the guise of a surrender, which lured the rebels to come forward to capture them.

However, eyewitness A. Muhammed in his book Swathandrasmaranakal, said that he had seen two lorries going to Westhill, Kozhikode carrying many dead bodies and injured soldiers.

At Kummalippadi, Mappila rebel Mankara Thodiyil Kunjahmmed climbed a tree and threw a grenade into the lorry, killing Lancaster and several soldiers.