Kerala landslides: Horrifying stories of loved ones’ deaths grip more Indian expats in UAE

Dubai: Horrifying stories of their loved ones’ deaths gripped more Indian expats in the UAE as several mud-covered bodies were pulled out from the sites of landslides in the South Indian state of Kerala on Wednesday.

Two landslides in the Wayanad district in the early hours of Tuesday killed more than 270 and trapped several others who are still missing. The victims include relatives and friends of some of the Indian expats here, as first reported by Gulf News on Tuesday.

On Wednesday, more expats learned the devastating news of their loved ones’ deaths. The victims also included employees of a Dubai-based healthcare group’s hospital in Kerala.

Shahid Abdul Rehman, who works at a petrol station in Sharjah, received the shocking news that his missing uncle’s mud-covered body was found in a sitting position in his collapsed house.

“Shahid and his relatives, Sajeev and Shanid, are all in a state of numbness after learning about the discovery of more dead bodies of their relatives who were missing. They are unable to comfort each other. It was difficult for me also to comfort them,” said Sajan Varghese, a senior member of the Pravasi Wayanad UAE group, who visited the trio on Wednesday.

Grim situation

Ajmal TS, who works as a delivery boy with a pharmacy in Khor Fakkan, told Gulf News over the phone from Wayanad that he was mentally and physically exhausted after helping with the search and rescue operations.

“The situation is very grim. It is unbearable to see the bodies covered in mud. Some are in pieces … body parts are being pulled out from the mud,” said Ajmal, who is on vacation back home.

“All the members of my cousin’s family were missing along with another family of my mother’s brother. Thankfully, all of them in my cousin’s family except her mother-in-law were rescued from the debris. We are still searching for the other family and my cousin’s mother-in-law,” he added.

Lost dozens

Shajahan Kuttiyath, a driver in Dubai, is another expat who has lost dozens of loved ones in the tragedy. “Though they are not my immediate family members, they are my relatives, neighbours, and friends whom we used to see almost every day. We all shared a good bond,” said a heart-broken Shajahan.

“My cousin’s entire family members are gone. Several extended family members of my mother have died,” he said.

“Two of my classmates are confirmed dead while two are still missing. Seven other friends from the neighbourhood are still missing,” Shajahan said.

He said his elder daughter was distraught after losing her school friends, including her best friend, along with her mother. “Their bodies were recovered from another district which is some 70km away.”

Shajahan expressed his concern about the future of the remaining students of his daughter’s school which was flattened in the landslide. “It was heartbreaking to see the visuals of the school, where I also studied, in the aftermath of the tragedy,” he added.

Father dies, mother missing

Meanwhile, Ashiq PK, who works at a hospital in Abu Dhabi, said his wife’s maternal uncle and aunt are among the victims. “My wife’s grandmother also lives with them. But, luckily, she had gone to a relative’s house which is far away from their house.”

He said the couple’s son Shahid works in Dubai. “Our uncle’s body was retrieved yesterday. They waited for Shahid to reach home to conduct the funeral. They are still searching for our aunt. They went to all the hospitals but didn’t find her yet. My wife has gone from my house in Malappuram to her house in Meppadi after hearing about the tragedy.”

Healthcare employees

At a press briefing shared on their Facebook page, executives of Dr Moopen’s Medical College, which comes under the India division of Aster DM Healthcare, said six of their employees were among the victims.

“Three bodies were identified, and the other three are still reported missing,” one of them said.

“We are really committed to our own staff and their valuables. We had a preliminary meeting in the morning. This was the first concern that the management addressed. We have made a WhatsApp group and are communicating about this. We expect to get a clear picture in one or two days,” he added.

The group said it has extended full support to the affected employees and their families by providing relief materials, first aid, and medical services. It added that it remains resolute in its efforts to locate and bring the missing employees home safely.