Mortal remains of oil tanker fire victim repatriated from UAE

Sharjah - Ansari was one among the four Indians who were killed in the oil tanker blaze.

Following a positive DNA test, the mortal remains of a third victim who was killed in the oil tanker fire off the coast of Sharjah has been repatriated home to India.
The Consulate General of India in Dubai announced on Twitter that the mortal remains of a crew member Mohammed Abbas Ansari died on board the MT SAM fire on January 29 was sent to his hometown Patna on Wednesday, March 11.
Ansari was one among the four Indians who were killed in the oil tanker blaze. Basudeb Harder from West Bengal and Siva Naga Babu from Andhra Pradesh were the other two victims. It is said that a total of six seafarers were killed in the accident and two people are still missing.
"His (Ansari) mortal remains was identified by matching of his DNA with that of his son," said Consul General of India to Dubai Vipul told Khaleej Times.
"The remains of the fourth Indian victim, which we are assuming is a person called Kolangi Thankavel, also needs DNA testing. We are waiting for his son to come from India to perform the DNA test," added Vipul.
They were aboard the Panamanian-flagged tanker, MT Sam, which was about 30 kilometres off the country's coast between Sharjah and Abu Musa Island in the Arabian Gulf, when a fire broke out on January 29.
Two people remain missing. The vessel was carrying 12 crew members and 44 technicians from India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Ethiopia and Uganda.
dhanusha@khaleejtimes.com

• Sharjah