Indian passenger, 51, dies after falling ill on board Abu Dhabi-Bangalore flight

Abu Dhabi: An Indian passenger on his way home from the UAE died after falling seriously ill on board an Abu Dhabi-to-Bangalore flight in the early hours of Monday, leaving behind a wife and five children, including a three-month-old.

The deceased has been identified as Yousafe Kunhammu, 51 and the incident has been confirmed by his family and airline sources.

His Abu Dhabi-based nephew told Gulf News that Yousafe was travelling on a visit visa and was returning to India alone when tragedy struck.

Though the exact cause of his death is still unclear, he is believed to have suffered a heart attack, the nephew said.

Breathing trouble

Airline sources confirmed to Gulf News that the crew reported a medical emergency just before the aircraft was due to take off.

They said Yousafe began experiencing breathing difficulty shortly before departure.

The cabin crew reportedly responded immediately, and the pilot swiftly called for medical assistance.

Airline sources said all standard operating procedures were followed and every possible form of assistance was provided on board while the medical team was alerted immediately.

Paramedics rushed to the aircraft, attended to him on the spot, and then transported him to a hospital. However, Yousafe was declared dead on arrival.

Flight delayed

In line with standard operating procedure, Yousafe’s luggage was offloaded from the aircraft following the medical emergency.

The incident also caused a slight delay to the flight's departure, it was confirmed.

Though Yousafe hailed from Kerala, he had booked a flight to Bangalore, the nephew confirmed.

Family in shock, grief

The tragic incident has left his family back home and his relatives in the UAE in shock and grief.

Yousafe is survived by his wife and five children, the youngest of whom is just three months old. His nephew said his uncle had visited the UAE on different occasions earlier, often exploring opportunities in jobs and business.

He said Yousafe’s relatives including his brothers, who live in different emirates, rushed to Abu Dhabi after being woken by the news of the tragedy in the early hours of Monday.

His mortal remains are currently being kept in a mortuary. Relatives and members of the community are now making arrangements to repatriate his body to his hometown in Kerala. 

Spate of deaths

Yousafe's death comes close on the heels of two other Indians dying suddenly in the UAE within days of each other, though both were UAE residents, not visitors.

As reported by Gulf News, Anwar Sadiq, a 43-year-old Kerala expat who had lived in the UAE for around 15 years, died of a cardiac arrest in Ajman on June 17 after collapsing in his car following a badminton session.

His death came just three days after Safwan Shanu, a 38-year-old expat from Karnataka, died of a heart attack while playing cricket at a parking lot in Al Garhoud, Dubai.