Dubai bus accident: Victims' families still shocked, struggling

Dubai - From having to cancel bank accounts to identifying lawyers, many of the families are running from pillar to post since the tragedy.

Families, who lost their loved ones in the bus accident that claimed 17 lives, are still in deep shock - and many of them are struggling to keep their head above water due to mounting financial issues. 
The Dubai Traffic Prosecution on Wednesday announced that it has referred the Omani driver to court and demanded that a total blood money of Dh3.4 million be paid to the victims' families.
From having to cancel bank accounts to identifying lawyers to represent them in court, many of the families are running from pillar to post since the tragedy.
Manisha Thakur - whose husband Vikram Thakur and cousin Roshni Moolchandani died in the crash - said she is struggling to make ends meet, given that she was financially dependent on her husband. She had to move houses because she couldn't afford to pay for their flat anymore.
A battery of lawyers had already approached her, she said, with many saying they would be charging 20 per cent of the blood money.
An overwhelmed Manisha said she had been scrambling to get a lot of things done, such as closing her husband's bank account and cancelling his identification cards. And it didn't help that Vikram's mobile phone and a few bank cards remained missing since the accident, she said. 
"It's overwhelming because my husband used to  take care of all of these things. Recently, he had purchased so many new things and I'm finding it so difficult to sell them online," Manisha said.
A relative of two victims - Ummer Chonokadavath and Nabil Ummer - Fawaz Ebrahim said: "We were approached by several lawyers saying they want to handle the case, however, we have not yet decided if we want to appoint a lawyer. The family does not have anyone else residing here."
 "The family is in need of the blood money since they have been facing financial difficulties after Ummer's death. But we expect this case to go on for a few more months," he said.
dhanusha@khaleejtimes.com

• Dubai