Kerala man who died after falling ill on UAE flight had lost 2 Indian expat brothers to heart attack

Abu Dhabi: Indian expat in Dubai Jafar Kunhammu, 43, has spent much of his life saying goodbye. When the youngest of thirteen siblings travelled home on Thursday for the funeral of his brother Yousafe Kunhammu, 51, who had died after falling ill on board an Abu Dhabi-Bangalore flight, it was the third time Jafar had lost a brother to a heart attack.

Speaking to Gulf News from Kerala, Jafar, who works as a family driver, said Yousafe's death was the latest in a long line of tragedies to hit the family.

"We are thirteen siblings — seven brothers and six sisters — and I am the youngest of all. Yousafe is the third brother we are losing to heart attack," the grieving brother said.

"Our two eldest brothers had also died of heart attack in their early 50s. Doctors have cautioned all of us to be careful," said Jafar, who accompanied Yousafe's body to Kasaragod district along with another brother, Abdurahman, also a Dubai resident.

The family's history with heart disease stretches back generations. The two eldest brothers, who had worked as expats in Sharjah, both died of heart attacks while home on vacation in Kerala, Jafar recalled. The eldest died around 18 years ago, and the second brother 13 years ago.

The shadow of the disease may reach even further back. Jafar said their father also reportedly died of a heart attack when he was 56.

It was a loss that came just six months after Jafar himself was born. The family also lost their mother around 30 years ago when Jafar just 13.

For Jafar, the youngest, each bereavement has been another chapter in a long story of grief.

Jafar revealed that Yousafe had already been on medication for heart disease and hypertension.

The day before he boarded the flight, Yousafe had complained of breathing difficulty while walking and had decided to return home to consult a doctor. He had been in the UAE on a visit visa.

As first reported by Gulf News on June 22, Yousafe began experiencing breathing difficulty shortly before the Abu Dhabi-to-Bangalore flight was due to take off.

The cabin crew responded immediately, paramedics were called and he was rushed to hospital, but he was declared dead on arrival.

Jafar also revealed that Yousafe leaves behind his wife and seven children, not five as community members in Abu Dhabi had previously reported.

Of the four daughters and three sons, the eldest daughter, aged 20, is already married. The youngest is also a daughter, now just four months old.

"The younger kids were waiting for his gifts from the UAE," Jafar said.

Yousafe had run a shop in Mumbai and wound up the business. He had visited the UAE on different occasions earlier, often exploring opportunities in jobs and business.

Legal procedures for the repatriation of his mortal remains were completed with the help of community volunteers who supported the family through the paperwork and logistics.

Anees Perinchery, a community volunteer with the Indian Islamic Centre in Abu Dhabi, said the Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi funded the repatriation of the mortal remains.

Jafar, Abdurahman, and several other relatives, friends and people from their native place attended the funeral prayer at the mosque in the Abu Dhabi Central Morgue.

Ashraf PK, secretary of the Kasaragod wing of KMCC Abu Dhabi, who hails from the same village, said Yousafe was well known and respected back home.

"He was soft spoken and a pious believer who faithfully performed the five daily prayers," Ashraf said.

Yousafe’s body was flown to Mangalore International Airport in Karnataka and transported by road to their village in Kasaragod.

The local MLA coordinated with the Kerala government's Norka Department, which arranged an ambulance to bring the body home from the airport.

Hundreds of people turned out for the funeral, where Yousafe was remembered as a soft-spoken and deeply faithful man.

"It will take a long time for the family to come to terms with his loss," Jafar said.