Indian goldsmith dies at RAK airport hours before flight back home

Mangalore Today News Network

Ras Al Khaimah, July 02, 2020:  An Indian man died before he could board a repatriation flight from Ras Al Khaimah on Tuesday.

 

The family members of Manchakkal Pavithran were awaiting his return the day after they had shared the good news of his son securing A+ in all subjects in his Grade 10 board exam in Kerala, community sources told Gulf News.

Pavithran is survived by his wife Sumithra and three children.

The 50-year-old was a goldsmith in Ajman and did not have any work for more than three months due to the pandemic, said Shaji Kayakkodi, who had helped him get sponsorship for his flight ticket from a community group called Chetana.

“He wanted to go home because he was unpaid all these days. The shop for which he worked was providing food and accommodation. There was a delay in getting his visa renewed and he managed to get the passport along with the new visa only on Sunday,” said Kayakkodi.

He said Pavithran had called him to meet him at the Ras Al Khaimah International Airport, from where he was to catch a chartered flight to Kozhikode on Tuesday night.

“He took a taxi from Ajman to Deira where the travel agency had arranged free bus transportation to Ras Al Khaimah. He had called me, asking me to come to the airport to see him before he left,” he said.

When they spoke, he said Pavithran also expressed his disappointment that he could not buy a mobile phone as a gift for his son for his success in the exam.

“I told him that it was not a good idea to gift a phone to children. In any case, I think he had bought some other gifts for his son anyway.”

However, when Kayakkodi and his friends from Chetana reached the airport, Pavithran did not answer his calls.

“I called him a couple of times. I thought he might have got busy with the check-in procedures,” Kayakkodi said.

But later at night, he learnt of Pavithran’s death, he added.

Family offered support

Meanwhile, Dr Shamsheer Vayalil, chairman and managing director of Abu Dhabi-based VPS Healthcare, has offered to take over the expenses for the education of the deceased expatriate’s son.

VPS Healthcare (India) director Hafiz Ali Ullat, who is in touch with the bereaved family in Kerala, said in a press statement that they were deeply perturbed to learn about Pavithran’s passing away.

"It is a heart-wrenching story. We have therefore decided to support the family of Pavithran by taking over the responsibility for the education of his son Dhanoop, who has passed the SSLC examination scoring A+ in all subjects. Dhanoop is the hope of the family now and is good in studies. By supporting him, we believe it would be a relief for the family and would fulfil the dreams of Pavithran. We also extend our deepest sympathies to the bereaved family.”

As an immediate relief, VPS Healthcare will be handing over an amount of Rs500,000 (Dh24,324) to the family members, the statement added.

Courtesy:Khaleejtimes