UAE accident: Woman's body will be repatriated to India

Ajman - The Umm Al Quwain resident was a mother of two.

By Dhanusha Gokulan and Afkar Abdullah

Published: Mon 18 Jan 2021, 7:19 PM

An Indian resident, 45, succumbed to her injuries in a hospital in a freak accident, as she got hit by a car driven by her husband at a hospital parking lot, according to police sources.

Sources at the Indian diplomatic mission in Dubai told Khaleej Timesthat her mortal remains would be repatriated to Kochi, Kerala, early Tuesday morning. The woman has been identified as Liji, a mother of two. She was a resident of the Umm Al Quwain emirate.

The freak accident had occurred last week, when the couplevisited the hospital. “She was standing in front of the car while directing her husband to park the vehicle. Unfortunately, the car got stuck between another vehicle and a wall of the hospital building. Soon, the husband lost control of the vehicle and hit his wife,” said a police official.

The victim was shifted to an adjoining hospital, but she breathed her last a few hours later.

Mortal remains to be repatriated

Neeraj Agarwal, Consul – Press, Information, and Culture at the Consulate General of India in Dubai told Khaleej Times, “It’s a tragic incident. We offer our sincere condolences to the family. The death was registered at the Consulate and procedures have been completed to repatriate her mortal remains to India early Tuesday morning.”

Police and social workers have urged motorists to drive with caution and keep an eye out for children and pedestrians at parking lots. Sajad Nattika, the president of the Indian Association in Umm Al Quwain, said, “I know the family for long, as Liji’s husband was my college mate. We’re shocked by the tragic incident.”

‘Motorists need to stop using mobiles while driving’

Naseer Vatanapally, a Dubai-based social worker, said similar incidents had occurred in the past, including one that led to a death of a child. “Motorists must exercise caution while driving. They must stop checking their mobile phones while at the wheels. Drivers are often inattentive while driving. At times, they don’t even check if all their family members have got inside their cars,” he said.

He added, “Especially when they are reversing their car out of parking lots, they, at times, don’t check if the rear space is clear. Children, or even small animals such as cats, often cannot be seen through rear-view mirrors. We must exercise caution while driving.”

Driving safety tips

Stay in lanes and avoid cutting across parking lots

Drive slowly and use directional signals

Anticipate the actions of other drivers

Obey stop and no-parking signs

Don’t assume that drivers can see

Don’t use headphones

Don’t use mobile phones

afkarali@khaleejtimes.com, dhanusha@khaleejtimes.com