Global Village victim had alerted about loose parts

Abdullah Mohammad Al Habsi, a 37-year-old Emirati from Ras Al Khaimah, was the sole breadwinner for his wife and family of seven - the youngest of whom is just one year old - before Thursday's tragic accident which has left Global Village Funfair Zone rides ground to a halt and three men charged with unintentional murder.

The victim's cousin Faleh Ali, who was holding the deceased man's hand at the time he died, has told of how his cousin valiantly pushed him out of the way and saved his life, as the falling pole came down on his head from 25 metres high.

"He grabbed my hand and pulled me to avert the steel light board, but unfortunately he took the blow on his head...he died while holding my hand," Ali said from Global Village nearby the accident scene, where friends and family had gathered to offer condolences on Saturday. Ali said the group of men had gone to Global Village to make some purchases.

Horrifically, Ali said two other visitors had earlier seen the steel light board on the Ferris wheel leaning and shaking, and looked in danger of falling. They had apparently alerted a worker to their concerns, but the worker did not act on them, Ali said.

He said he had been walking with Al Habsi, with their two friends behind the pair, when they heard screams "and saw people around us screaming and running".

"I heard the voices of my friends behind us warning us to move away, when Abdullah Al Habsi looked up, warned me and pushed me strongly backwards. When I had a quick look up to find out what was happening, I saw a two-metre steel pole falling down on Abdullah's head dealing him a fatal blow."

The impact of the collision threw both Al Habsi and Ali backward, as Al Habsi was so tightly holding his cousin's hand - which he continued to do til he died shortly after.

Ali said he kept looking at Abdullah's hand, which had saved him from certain death, until he breathed his last. The moment before he died, Abdullah lifted his finger up to the sky reciting the two Shehadah, Ali said.

He said he would not forget the two hours he sat next to his cousin's body before it was finally taken by the ambulance to hospital, once police allowed it.

Abdullah Ali, a relative of the victim, and Mohammad Saeed, a friend, who were present consoling the victim's family on Saturday, pleaded with authorities to speed up the investigation into the incident and hold those responsible who were guilty of wrongdoing - whether their roles in the accident was intentional or by mistake.

-salah@khaleejtimes.com