Dubai gas cylinder blast: First victim of explosion off Sheikh Zayed Road also identified

Dubai: The first victim of Monday's gas cylinder explosion on the premises of a car showroom off Sheikh Zayed Road in Dubai has also been identified.

The Consulate General of Cameroon in Dubai confirmed to Gulf News on Thursday that the victim has been identified as a Cameroonian expat.

The mission identified the victim as Nkeng Boris, 30, an auto mechanic. and said it was offering assistance during the difficult time.

The Consulate said Boris had been living in the UAE since 2019.

Friend identifies victim

According to the Consulate, Boris did not have any family members in the UAE, and that it was a friend who had approached the mission on Thursday.

That friend, the mission said, was the one who formally identified the body, which is currently kept at Dubai Police headquarters.

"We got confirmation from the person who identified the corpse and submitted his passport copy at the Consulate," an official said, adding that the consulate would coordinate with the friend and local authorities to complete the necessary formalities.

Brother's anxious wait

Before the identification was confirmed, Boris's brother, Nkeng Lionel, had emailed Gulf News late on Wednesday night, seeking information about his sibling, who he feared may have died in the explosion.

"My brother was involved in that accident, and from reports we are getting, he died. So how many people died during this explosion at the showroom?" Lionel wrote after Gulf News report about an Indian expat victim who was identified earlier.

Lionel said the family and Boris's friends had been unable to reach him. "His friends don't have any news, nor his family. We have been calling his phone, which is said to have been collected by the manager, but there has been no response," he said.

According to him, Boris was a part-time worker who had just started working in Dubai.

The workplace of Boris is not immediately known. The car showroom where the blast took place did not respond to Gulf News' questions.

Gulf News wrote back to Lionel but is yet to hear from him.

Second victim

According to a statement issued by the Government of Dubai Media Office on Monday, one person was killed and five others were injured in the blast. Dubai Civil Defence teams responded to the scene, bringing the fire under control and providing medical support to the injured.

Boris is believed to be the first victim of the blast. The explosion had also killed Indian expat Shijin Paul, 27, from Kottarakkara in Kerala's Kollam district.

On Tuesday, Gulf News reported his death, as confirmed by the Indian Consulate in Dubai and a close relative.

As reported by Gulf News, Shijin had died at a hospital. A relative had told Gulf News he had rushed there after being informed of the blast by the showroom, but Shijin had already passed away by the time he arrived.

Shijin worked as the multimedia marketing specialist at the showroom, handling social media and videography, and had joined the company only in November.

A colleague who witnessed the explosion earlier recalled the chaos, saying people had been trying to douse a fire with extinguishers when the cylinder blew up. According to him, there were employees of several nearby shops that included some auto service companies.

Repatriation pending

Shijin's family is still awaiting his mortal remains, as the legal formalities required for repatriation are yet to be completed.

The Indian Consulate said it remained in touch with his family and local authorities to facilitate the process.

The Consulate General of Cameroon said it, too, would continue to support Boris's friend and family as arrangements are made following his death.