Dubai, Apr 17: An Indian couple who was killed in the Dubai apartment fire on Saturday was preparing an iftar meal for their neighbours, according to multiple media reports.
Rijesh Kalangadan, 38, his wife Jeshi Kandamangalath, 32, and their neighbours, Imam Kasim, 43, and S Mohammed Rafeeq, were among the 16 people who died in the blaze. Several others were injured.
Rijesh, who worked as a business development manager with a travel and tourism company, and Jeshi, who worked as a schoolteacher, were celebrating Vishu on April 15 when the tragic accident occurred. The duo were apparently sleeping when the fire broke out and died of asphyxia.
The fire broke out in Al Murar area of Dubai’s Deira neighbourhood on Saturday afternoon and was reported to fire officials at 12.35 pm local time (2.05 pm IST), reported UAE-based Khaleej Times. The exact cause of the fire is yet to be determined, but witnesses said that they heard a bang and a ball of smoke and fire from the fourth floor of the apartment building. Initial reports suggest that the fire may have been caused by a short circuit in the AC.
A Dubai-based businessman who volunteers with the Indian Consulate on repatriation issues told news agency Associated Press that authorities had identified the dead as six Sudanese, four Indians, three Pakistanis, a Cameroonian, an Egyptian and a Jordanian, and that the authorities are trying to speed up the paperwork to return the remains of the deceased to their homelands.
Friends remember the couple
Rijesh’s friend Mansoor Ali told Khaleej Times that he visited several hospitals hoping to find them among those admitted with injuries. “Rijesh and I are from the same village in Kerala. He came to the UAE around 10 years ago and I came here before him. When I heard the news on Saturday, initially, I was hoping and praying that I would find Rijesh and his wife at one of the hospitals. However, when I did not find them in any of the hospitals that I visited, I felt a pit in my stomach. I was beginning to realise that they probably did not make it. Then, I found their bodies in the mortuary. I am feeling extremely low and still trying to get a grip on what has happened,” he said.
Their neighbours told Gulf News that the couple were preparing Vishu Sadhya and had invited their Muslim neighbours to break the Ramzan fast with them.
One of their neighbours, Riyas Kaikambam, said that the couple were very friendly and used to invite him and his seven roommates for meals during festivals. “They used to live in the next building earlier. They moved to our building two years ago. They had invited us during Onam and Vishu lunches earlier also. This time, they told us to come for iftar as it is Ramadan,” he said.
He told the media house that he last saw them outside the apartment. “There was no response to calls later. I could see Rijesh’s last seen status on WhatsApp at 12.35 pm. I just can’t believe the man who helped me book my flight ticket for Sunday, the man who invited me for iftar, is gone [along with his wife],” said Riyas.
Rijesh’s uncle told Gulf News that he had spoken to his family that day to wish them on Vishu and that the couple were planning to visit Kerala to hold a function for their newly built house in the state.
His roommate Suhail Kopa too told Gulf News that he was devastated by the demise of his neighbours. Sunil was not at home during the fire. “They are people whom we used to meet and greet every day. It is heartbreaking to think of going to live in the same place where we lost 16 neighbours, some of whom were close to us,” he said.
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