Homecoming turns tragic as Indian expat dies in Kuwait strike

A 55-year-old Indian tailor from Ujjain, working in Kuwait for nearly three decades, was killed in an attack on Kuwait International Airport. He was preparing to return home for a family wedding, leaving behind a grieving family and shattered plans

Ujjain (MP): For nearly 30 years, Manzoor Ahmed worked as a tailor in Kuwait to support his family in Madhya Pradesh. He was looking forward to joining them for his nephew’s wedding back home when an Iranian strike at Kuwait airport killed him, shattering those plans. Manzoor’s family members said government officials informed them about his death and shared more details about the arrival of his mortal remains.

A resident of Ujjain district, the 55-year-old was scheduled to board a flight from Kuwait around 7.30 am on Wednesday for Mumbai, from where he was to take a train to his hometown. His family had planned to welcome him at the railway station with garlands.

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The tailor had packed his bag to attend his nephew’s wedding in neighbouring Ratlam district on June 8, they said. His 18-year-old son Anas Ahmed said he had spoken to him on Tuesday, unaware that it would be their last conversation.

“Around 2.30 pm on Wednesday, we received a call from the Indian Embassy informing us that Manzoor had died in the airport attack,” his brother-in-law Mohammed Ismail told PTI over the phone.

“We had made preparations to receive him at the station. The family was eagerly waiting for him. Instead of welcoming him home, we are now leaving for Gujarat to bring his body,” said a devastated Ismail. Besides being part of the wedding celebrations, Manzoor was looking forward to meeting several relatives after a long time, he said.

Manzoor’s mortal remains are expected to reach Ahmedabad airport around 2 am on Friday, following which his relatives will bring the body to Ujjain for his last rites, said the family members.

The tailor is survived by his wife, son, two daughters and aged mother. “We are devastated. He was the sole breadwinner of the family. Everything happened so suddenly,” Ismail said.

While government authorities have confirmed the death of an Indian in the attack on Kuwait airport, they have yet to confirm the victim’s identity. Manzoor was killed, and several others were injured when Kuwait International Airport came under attack on Wednesday amid escalating hostilities between Iran and the US, according to his family.

“I have learnt that the body will reach Ahmedabad. From there, it will be brought to Ujjain by road. The victim hails from Nagda in Ujjain,” Collector Raushan Singh told PTI.

Meanwhile, India’s Ambassador to Kuwait Paramita Tripathi visited the Central Mortuary in Kuwait, where the victim’s mortal remains were kept. She met injured Indian nationals undergoing treatment at hospitals and assured them of all possible assistance and support, the Indian embassy said.

The ambassador also met Brigadier Abdulrahim Al-Awadhi, General Manager of the General Department of Criminal Evidence, and conveyed appreciation for the prompt and sensitive support extended by the Kuwaiti authorities, it said.

“The Embassy is in touch with the family of the deceased Indian national and is coordinating with Kuwaiti authorities for expeditious transportation of mortal remains,” the mission said.

The embassy had earlier expressed condolences over the death and said it was closely coordinating with Kuwaiti authorities to extend all possible support to the bereaved family and the injured.

In a statement, the Kuwaiti Army said Iranian strikes resulted in the death of an Indian expatriate and injuries to several individuals. “We extend our sincere condolences and sympathies to the family of the deceased and wish a speedy recovery to all the injured,” said Colonel Saud Abdulaziz Al-Otaibi, official spokesperson of Kuwait’s Ministry of Defence.

Kuwaiti Interior Ministry spokesperson Brigadier General Nasser Bousleeb said Terminal 1 of Kuwait International Airport was targeted by several hostile drones, resulting in the death of one traveller and injuries to several workers and travellers.

The latest death has taken the number of reported Indian fatalities linked to the regional conflict to at least 10 since hostilities between Iran and the US began on February 28.