Family of four killed in Sharjah road accident

Dubai: It is hard to believe that an entire family of four is no more, said a family friend of Saeendhran Pillai, who along with his two children and wife was killed in a road accident.

The accident occurred on Sharjah Airport Road on Friday evening.

Pillai, 40, and his two boys, Vignesh, 7, and Vivek, 3, were killed instantly while his wife Jaysree, 32, died yesterday morning at Al Qasimi hospital.

Close relatives were informed of the accident on Saturday by a friend of Saeendhran who was contacted by the police. "Police called a number that was on Saeendhran's mobile phone," said Manohar, the family friend.

Manohar said police handed over the keys to Saeendhran's house yesterday to the family. "It was strange going to the house. Until last Friday the house was filled with laughter and pranks of the two boys, but today there was an eerie silence," said Manohar. "We looked for the passports of Jaysree and the kids. Saeendhran's passport is with his previous company, which is located at Dubai Media City. We have got in touch with them. Since Saeendhran was under their sponsorship they would give a letter to release the body to the next of kin," he said.

Saeendhran, a resident of UAE for the last 10 years, had recently moved to another job as an accountant in a private company in Bur Dubai. His wife and kids joined him in Dubai just four years ago. The family lived in Deira.

According to police sources, the car in which the Pillai family was travelling was hit by a four-wheel drive that was hit by another vehicle.

All the three motorists were speeding, which resulted in the accident, said police officials.

The driver of the four-wheel drive was a national while an Asian was driving the other vehicle.

The national who was also injured is undergoing treatment at Al Qasimi hospital under police custody.

Friends and their families came in support of the grieving family members at the hospital yesterday morning.

Jaysree's sister, Sangeeta, who lives with her family in Dubai, is in shock.

Close family friends said the family was close knit and occasionally went to the Sharjah National Park on weekends.

"The accident took place around iftar time on Friday so we are not sure whether they were on their way to the park or returning to Dubai," said Manohar.

"All the paper work is being done in Sangeeta's name. We expect the formalities to be completed in the next couple of days," he said. The bodies will be repatriated to Kerala, India.

Vignesh attended Grade II at the Indian High School, Dubai.

The school will hold a condolence meeting today. "We came to know about the accident through the newspapers," said Ashok Kumar, the school principal.