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'It doesn't make sense': Colleague mourns Indian expat killed in Dubai gas explosion
The 27-year-old, who arrived in Dubai just eight months ago, worked as a multimedia marketing specialist in the company
- PUBLISHED: Wed 5 Aug 2026, 6:00 AM
A sound and a blast are all he remembers. The next minute, a colleague who was like a brother to him was dead.
“I can’t even believe it,” said one employee of the Dubai car showroom who survived the gas cylinder blast that occurred in its premises. “I was right next to him when we heard the commotion. We both exited the building. He was right ahead of me and suddenly there was a blast. It doesn’t make sense that he died and I didn’t.”
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On Tuesday, the Consulate General of India (CGI) confirmed that the deceased man was identified as S.P., hailing from the southern Indian state of Kerala. According to a statement by the Dubai Civil Defence, the authority brought the blast under control within an hour of being notified of the incident and provided necessary assistance to all those involved.
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Khaleej Times reached out to the company for a comment, but a customer service agent said that the management of the facility was prioritising helping the victims and their families.
Regular day
According to the survivor, the staff were going about their regular day on Monday afternoon at the first floor of the showroom when they heard the commotion downstairs. “There was a fire and it was spreading,” he said. “We didn’t really panic. All of us, including my boss, made our way down. Just as we were exiting the building, a gas cylinder burst. I distinctly remember the loud sound of the blast. The rest of what happened is a blur. I remember that some of us called the emergency services.”
What he didn’t realise at the time was that the gas cylinder blast gravely injured his colleague, who died from his injuries.
Having joined the company just three months ago, the survivor said that he was still in a daze and trying to process what happened. “I was told later that some employees from our office and nearby offices were trying to extinguish the fire with fire extinguishers when the gas cylinder burst,” he said. “They were some of those who were injured.”
The deceased had been married for less than a year. The 27-year-old, who arrived in Dubai just eight months ago, worked as a multimedia marketing specialist in the company.
A relative of S.P. said that he was supposed to meet him on Monday evening. “I was supposed to meet him in the evening, but what I got was a call saying that he was injured,” he said. “By the time I reached the hospital, he had already passed away. I still cannot believe it.”
He added that S.P.’s wife was informed about her husband’s untimely death and there were relatives to support her through the tough time. “We are waiting for the paperwork and formalities to be completed so that we can repatriate his body to India for his funeral,” he said.
