Dubai officials condole Indian expat father who lost four sons in Abu Dhabi car crash

Dubai: The Al Warqa Grand Mosque in Dubai on Thursday became a place of solace and solidarity, as hundreds gathered to offer condolences to Abdul Latheef, the Indian expat father who lost all four of his sons, with only his daughter surviving, in a devastating car crash on the Abu Dhabi–Dubai Road on Sunday morning.

The traditional Islamic condolence gathering, known as Azza, witnessed heartwarming scenes as officials from various Dubai government departments personally visited the bereaved father to express their sympathies and support.

Still bearing injuries to his limbs from the accident, Abdul Latheef sat in a wheelchair with quiet dignity as a steady stream of visitors offered words of comfort and prayers for the family.

The boys’ mother, Rukhsana, still remains hospitalised in Abu Dhabi while their only surviving child, 10-year-old daughter Izzaa, has been discharged.

Among those who paid their respects to the father in Dubai were senior officials from Dubai Municipality and Dubai Police, whose presence deeply moved both the family and community members present.

"It was the first time I witnessed such personal effort from Dubai officials in visiting a grieving father and offering their condolences. They didn't just facilitate the procedures. They came in person to share in the family's grief," said a social worker who attended the gathering.

The officials had been instrumental in expediting funeral arrangements following the tragedy that claimed the lives of Ashaz, 14, Ammaar, 12, Azzaam, seven, and Ayyash, five, along with the family's domestic worker Bushra Fayaz Yahu, 49, on Sunday morning.

While three brothers and Bushra had died on the spot, Azzaam succumbed to his injuries later. Bushra’s body was flown home on Monday night and her funeral was held on Tuesday morning in Kerala.

All four brothers were laid to rest side by side at the graveyard in Al Qusais Cemetery in Muhaisnah on Tuesday afternoon.

"Dubai Municipality and Dubai Police officials had told us they were ready to provide all necessary services, even at night if needed," the social worker explained. "Their willingness to personally attend the Azza and express their condolences speaks volumes about the big-heartedness of Dubai's leaders and officials."

He added that officials from different Dubai departments had helped with special approvals to ensure the funeral procedures were completed smoothly, despite the family's residence visas being issued in Ras Al Khaimah.

The morning session of the Azza was held between 10am and 12pm, with an evening gathering scheduled from 4pm to 7pm. Throughout the day, family members, friends, neighbours and even strangers arrived to offer their sympathies to Abdul Latheef, who had requested to be discharged from hospital so he could attend his sons' funeral on Tuesday.

"All that we can offer the grieving parents now is our moral support. Seeing how the community and officials have come together for this family has been truly moving," the social worker said.

Similar scenes of compassion had unfolded at the hospital in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, when the bodies of the four boys were brought from the Abu Dhabi Central Morgue to allow the parents a final viewing before the funeral.

According to hospital staff, it was an unprecedented moment. They said it was the first time bodies had been brought back to the hospital from the morgue for such a viewing.

Hospital executives and employees, including senior Emirati directors, gathered to support the grieving family during those agonising moments. Many were visibly moved, with tears streaming down their faces as the bereaved mother, who had undergone surgery on her injured hand, was brought by ambulance to see her sons one last time.

The accident occurred in the early hours of Sunday morning as the family was returning to Dubai from the Liwa Festival. Abdul Latheef and Rukhsana had decided to drive back that night to ensure their children were ready for school after the month-long winter break. Though the decision was driven by parental love, nobody could have foreseen that it would end in such an unimaginable tragedy in the blink of an eye.