At least 12 Indians were among the 17 people killed in a bus accident in Dubai when the vehicle, coming from Oman, rammed into a low-clearance sign, police and the Indian mission said on Friday, 7 June.
Earlier, the Indian consulate in Dubai had said that among the 17 people killed, eight were Indians.
The Indian Consulate in Dubai is in the process of completing formalities related to forensics and other documentation required to repatriate the bodies of the Indians.
“We are sorry to inform that as per local authorities and relatives it is so far confirmed that 8 Indians have passed away in Dubai bus accident. Consulate is in touch with relatives of some of the deceased & awaits further details for others to inform their families,” the consulate had said in a tweet.
Vipul, Indian Consular General in Dubai, confirmed that the death toll has gone up.
Nine persons were seriously injured when the driver of the bus, belonging to the Omani bus transport company Mwasalat, wrongly entered a road not designated for buses towards Al Rashidiya metro station, PTI reported.
The bus, carrying 31 passengers, crashed into a height barrier that cut the left side of the bus and killed passengers sitting on that side, Gulf News reported.
‘Number of Indians Who Died Could Increase’
Dubai Police authorities said that there are still some unidentified bodies and the number of Indians who died in the accident could increase further.
The bus, carrying 31 passengers, crashed into a height barrier that cut the left side of the bus and killed passengers sitting on that side, the Gulf News reported.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar took to Twitter to express his condolences to the families of the deceased.
Names of Deceased
Following are the names of seven of the 12 deceased identified so far, as announced by the Consulate General of India:
- Mr Feroz Khan Pathan
- Mrs Reshma Feroz Khan Pathan
- Mr Deepak Kumar
- Mr Jamaludeen Arakkaveettil
- Mr Kiran Johnny
- Mr Vasudev
- Mr Tilakram Jawahar Thakur
Mr Sanjeev Kumar, an Indian Consulate Officer is the point of contact for those wanting to know more about the accident: +971-504565441. The helpline number is +971-565463903.
Grief Takes Over Eid Festivities as 17 Die in Dubai Bus Accident
Eid holidays turned tragic for the families of the deceased. Most of the passengers were travelling back to Dubai after a visit to their relatives in neighbouring Oman during the 3-6 June Eid holidays in the UAE.
(With inputs from PTI)
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