The identification process is complete, but it was not quick. The severity of the crash on Emirates Road meant some of the bodies were disfigured beyond easy recognition, extending a process that was already painful for the families waiting on the other side of it. Three days after the collision, all seven workers killed in Sunday’s Emirates Road accident have now been formally identified, confirmed by the Sharjah-headquartered company that employed them.
Emirates Road Accident: The Seven
The six Indian victims have been identified as Markandey Chauhan, 39, Abdul Rasheed, 38, and Mohammad Saqib, 31, all three from Uttar Pradesh, and Saleem Sayyed, 51, Abdul Rafiq, 37, and Thirupathi Gollapally, 23, all three from Telangana. The Sri Lankan victim, Samuvel Rengasami, 34, hailed from the Northern Province.
A company spokesperson shared details of their ages. “Five of the seven were in their thirties. The youngest among them, Thirupathi Gollapally, had turned 23 just last month. Mohammad Saqib was just weeks shy of his 32nd birthday. Except for Thirupathi and Mohammad, all were married with families back home,” he said.
A Voluntary Shift
The detail that gives this story an additional layer of grief is that none of the seven had to be there. The company offers optional half-day overtime shifts on weekends depending on project requirements. Up to 40 workers could have chosen to come in that Sunday. Only 24 did.
Of these, 16 boarded the minibus including the driver, to go from their accommodation in Sharjah to a construction site in Dubai. The accident took place on the way back near the Dubai-Sharjah border.
“The commitment they demonstrate and the love they have for their loved ones is evident,” the spokesperson said. Moreover, the victims were mostly relatively new to the company, apart from Markandey Chauhan who had been working for more than 10 years with the firm. With aspirations of creating a better future, a few had joined a few months ago.
The victims were sitting on the right side of the minibus, the company said. It was this side that suffered the heaviest blow as the car hit the grounded truck. The others who survived were sitting beside them in the same bus.
The company spokesperson described the grief still gripping the organisation. “We are all in deep sorrow and shock. Every single soul is valuable to us, and we are mourning the loss of all of them. The way they died has been particularly heartbreaking as some of their bodies were disfigured, which is why the identification process took longer,” he said.
Four Still in Hospital
Of the nine people injured in the Emirates road accident, four remain under treatment as of Wednesday night. Three are in intensive care: two are in critical condition, while the third is reportedly out of danger. The fourth is in a stable condition in a general ward. The remaining five were discharged earlier.
Emirates Road Accident: Where the Story Stands
This is the third update on the Emirates Road accident, which began with breaking coverage on June 8, when Dubai Police confirmed seven fatalities and nine injuries and issued a road safety warning over vehicles stopped in live lanes.
On June 10, Dr. Shamsheer Vayalil, Chairman and CEO of Burjeel Holdings, announced an AED 1 million relief package. The package included each of the seven families getting AED 100,000. Also, those nine survivors who were medically in need of help were provided AED 180,000 each.
The Indian Consulate, along with the Sri Lankan Consulate in Dubai, are now helping the families of the affected persons to receive relief funds provided by Dr. Shamsheer. The company expressed “deep appreciation for the gesture.
The families who lost these hardworking members of society have suffered the loss of their loved ones and their generous response to Dr Shamsheer’s noble act is moving us, and we would like to express our gratitude to him fully for his noble act, the spokesperson said.
Investigations by Dubai Police remain ongoing. No charges have been announced.
Read More: Emirates Road Accident Kills Seven, Injures Nine
