Dubai expat feared dead, another missing after Sri Lanka terror attacks

Dubai: Two Dubai-based expats remain missing in Sri Lanka on Wednesday, three days after the deadly terrorists bombings which killed 359 people so far, Gulf News has learnt.

The two, who were working for a UAE auto dealership, stayed at the Cinnamon Grand Hotel — one of the three 5-star hotels targeted by the suicide bombers.

The Daily Mail reported said British expat Lorraine Campbell was feared dead as she was last seen having breakfast at the hotel — moments before the suicide bomber triggered the bomb killing numerous people. 

Campbell, who worked as IT director for a Dubai-based company, was in Colombo on a business trip with a colleague, Juno Srivastava.

Srivastava is still missing and the search is on to locate his whereabouts.

Mark Campbell, 32, son of Lorraine Campbell, told the Mail that although she is yet to be formally identified, he was "sure" his mother had died in the blast at the hotel.

“She has been taken from us in a terrible way,” he is quoted telling Daily Mail.

Last seen alive

She was last seen alive on CCTV footage having breakfast with colleague Juno Srivastava at the hotel’s Taprobane restaurant — where she was said to have been sitting "very close" to the blast site.

The British businesswoman had relocated to Dubai to work for a large firm last year with her husband Neil Evans. Evans has flown to Sri Lanka to try to find her.

A company spokesperson said: “Given the sensitive nature of the situation, we consider this a private matter and, therefore, we will not be commenting,”

A company communication, a copy of which was obtained by Gulf News, sent out by a senior executive in Dubai states: “It is with a heavy heart I inform you that two of our colleagues were caught up in Sunday’s terror attacks in Sri Lanka.

"Both were in Sri Lanka on business travel. Lorraine tragically lost her life. Juno has been officially listed as missing. In these difficult moments, my thoughts are with the families. I assure you that we are extending every possible support to them to cope with the tragic developments. I also want to extend my sincere condolences to any of you who have lost loved ones, family or friends in the attacks."

The Indian High Commission tweeted in response to a query about Juno from the handle @indiainSL: "We are aware of his (Juno's) presence in Colombo. We are trying to find his whereabouts."

Shrivastav took up his Masters in Computer Science at Middlesex University and worked at Wipro before he became IT General Manager at Al Futtaim Group, according to his Facebook profile.