Dubai: Tributes are pouring in for the Irish national who was killed in Thursday’s bus crash in Dubai after the grieving family disclosed the identity of the teacher in her late 20s.
Irish media reported Fiona Geraghty was a 27-year-old from Balbriggan in Dublin.
The Irish Times quoted her grief-stricken parents and two brothers after they posted a notice on RIP.ae, which stated:
“Fiona will be very sadly missed by her loving parents, brothers, partner Fiachra, aunts, uncles, cousins and a very wide circle of friends, teachers and pupils of St Molaga’s National School, Balbriggan and School of Research Science, Dubai.”
Her brother David also wrote in a social media post: “Today is the saddest day of my life….. She will be forever in my memory and in my heart as she was loved deeply”.
Some other media reports cited her age as 28 and identified her and her male friend, who was injured in the crash, as currently employed teachers at the School of Research Science in Dubai. Fiona was reportedly on a career break from her Dublin school.
She was remembered as “an enthusiastic, energetic teacher who always got the best from her students” in a message circulated to parents in her Dublin school.
“Fiona was a much loved member of our staff and will be greatly missed by all who knew her. She was an enthusiastic, energetic teacher who always got the best from her students. She was lively but calm, strong but gentle, innovative and creative in her work and loved by staff and pupils alike,” read the statement.
Irish minister condoles
Irish Minister for Education and Skills Joe McHugh also offered condolences on Twitter.
“Desperately sad news from Dubai today & the loss of so many lives in a road accident. My deepest sympathy to parents & family of the young teacher who died in the bus crash. I wish her boyfriend a speedy recovery @IrelandEmbUAE will support you all whatever way they can,” his first tweet said.
“My sympathy also to the teaching community in UAE & all of the couple’s friends. The death of a loved one overseas is a deeply difficult circumstance for any family to deal with & our embassy will be there for you,” the minister added in his second tweet on the subject.
Fiona’s friend was in a stable condition in Rashid Hospital and his family members were scheduled to fly in to Dubai, reports said.
The Irish woman is the latest to be named among the 17 passengers who died after the Muscat-Dubai bus operated by Oman’s Mwasalat crashed into a height barrier for low clearance in one the worst road accidents in the UAE which was blamed on the driver.
Twelve Indian victims were identified by the Indian Consulate and two Pakistani victims were identified by the Pakistani Consulate earlier.
On Saturday night, the Philippine Consulate confirmed the death of one Filipino national in the tragedy, but did not reveal the identity in compliance with the protocol.
Mwsalat had identified the other deceased as the standby Omani driver of the bus. He was also not named.
The transport company, that had suspended the Muscat-Dubai service following the accident, announced the resumption of the service on Saturday afternoon.
