In a devastating blow to the Indian expatriate community, eight people, including seven members from two families hailing from Kerala's Malappuram district, lost their lives in two separate road accidents in the Gulf countries over the weekend. The tragic incidents occurred in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, leaving multiple children among the deceased and several others injured.
Abu Dhabi Highway Crash Claims Four Lives
The first tragedy unfolded on Sunday on the busy Abu Dhabi–Dubai highway near Shahama. A car carrying a family from Malappuram overturned, resulting in the deaths of three young siblings and a domestic worker. The deceased children have been identified as Ashaas (14), Ammar (12), and Ayash (5), the sons of M Abdul Latheef and Ruksana.
Their father, Abdul Latheef, originally from Kizhissery in Malappuram, and mother Ruksana, a native of Kunnummakkara near Vadakara, were injured in the crash along with another of their children. All three are currently receiving treatment at a hospital in Abu Dhabi. The family was returning from a visit to the Liwa International Festival in the Al Dhafra region when the accident occurred.
The fourth victim in this accident was the family's domestic help, Bushra from Chamravattom in Malappuram, who also perished in the horrific crash.
Saudi Arabia Collision Leaves Four Family Members Dead
In a separate and equally heartbreaking incident on Saturday evening, another family from Malappuram met with a fatal accident near Madinah, Saudi Arabia. Their car collided with a truck carrying fodder at Wadi Faraha.
The crash claimed the lives of four family members: Naduvath Kalathil Abdul Jaleel (52), his wife Tasna Thodengal (40), their 13-year-old son Aadil, and Jaleel's 73-year-old mother, Maimoonath Kakaengal. The family were natives of Vellila, Mankada in Malappuram but had settled in Tirurkad some years ago.
Abdul Jaleel, who had been working in the Gulf for nearly three decades and was currently employed in Jeddah, was travelling with his family to their house in Askan after a visit to Madinah. There were seven people in the vehicle at the time of the collision.
Aftermath and Ongoing Treatment
The accident in Saudi Arabia left Jaleel's three other children—Ayisha (15), Hadiya (9), and Noora (7)—with injuries. They are now undergoing medical care, with some being treated at the King Fahad hospital and others at the Saudi-German hospital.
In a poignant development, Jaleel's three other children, who were studying in India, have rushed to Madinah following the tragedy. According to sources, the legal procedures are being completed, and the funeral for the deceased is expected to be held in Madinah itself.
These twin tragedies have sent shockwaves through the close-knit Malappuram community, both in Kerala and across the Gulf nations, where a significant Indian diaspora lives and works. The incidents underscore the profound risks faced by expatriate families and have left a trail of unimaginable grief for the relatives and friends of the victims.
