Kerala couple killed in Dubai fire were preparing Vishu sadya as iftar; ₹10 lakh solatium for TN victims

The deceased were identified as Imam Kasim (43) and S Mohammed Rafiq (49) of the Sankarapuram block of Kallakurichi district in the state, a government release said.

The Kerala couple who died in the fire, Rijesh Kalangadan (38) and his wife Jeshi Kandamangalath (32), were preparing a Vishu sadya — a special meal to mark the New Year in the Malayalam calendar — for their Muslim neighbours to end their fast on Saturday evening.

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‘Deeply Saddened’

The bodies of the deceased would be brought to Tamil Nadu soon through the Indian Embassy; and Minorities Welfare and Non-Resident Tamils Welfare Minister Gingee KS Masthan has been asked to expedite the process, the chief minister said in a release.

“I am deeply saddened by the incident,” Stalin said.

Pattali Makkal Katchi president Anbumani Ramadoss said he was saddened to hear the news of the death of 16 people, including two Tamils, Imam Kasim and Gudu alias Mohammed Rafiq from Ramarajapuram village.

“I convey my deepest condolences and sympathies to the bereaved families,” he said.

The former Union minister said in a tweet that both the Central and state governments should take necessary steps to bring the mortal remains of the two persons to their hometown immediately. “I request that a compensation of ₹50 lakh be given to the families of the deceased. @CMOTamilnadu,” Ramadoss said.

துபாய் நாட்டில் தீ விபத்தில் உயிரிழந்தவர்களின் குடும்பத்தினருக்கு ஆறுதல் மற்றும் நிதியுதவியை மாண்புமிகு முதலமைச்சர் @mkstalin அவர்கள் அறிவித்துள்ளார். pic.twitter.com/IhF5TiX47Y

— CMOTamilNadu (@CMOTamilnadu) April 17, 2023

Iftar meal for neighbours

The Kerala couple who died was preparing an iftar meal for their neighbours, a media report has said.

Kalangadan was a business development manager with a travel and tourism company, while Kandamangalath was a school teacher.

The couple were celebrating Vishu on Saturday. They were making the Vishu sadya, a vegetarian festival feast served on a banana leaf, and had invited their Muslim neighbours, a group of bachelors from Kerala, for iftar, the Gulf News reported.

At least 16 were killed and nine others were injured in the blaze in the Al Ras area, which Dubai Civil Defence attributed to a lack of compliance with building security and safety requirements.

Rijesh Kalangadan, 38, and his wife Jeshi Kandamangalath, 32, both from Kerala, were preparing Vishusadhya, for their Muslim neighbours!

They were congress supporters & were present in Dubai cricket stadium during @RahulGandhi ‘s visit to Dubai in 2019.
Heartfelt condolences &… pic.twitter.com/HwLq018oqE

— Vijay Thottathil (@vijaythottathil) April 17, 2023

‘Can’t believe they are gone’

Riyas Kaikambam, who lived with seven roommates in apartment number 409, said the couple who lived in 406, adjacent to flat 405 where the fire started, was very friendly.

The couple used to invite Riyas and his roommates during their festivals.

“They had invited us for Onam and Vishu lunches earlier also. This time, they told us to come for iftar as it is Ramzan.”

Kaikambam said he last saw the couple outside their apartment. “I could see the teacher was crying,” he recalled, adding that the couple went back into their studio flat.

“There was no response to calls later. I could see Rijesh’s last seen status on WhatsApp at 12.35 pm. I just can’t believe the man who helped me book my flight ticket for Sunday, the man who invited me for iftar, is gone (along with his wife).”

His roommate Suhail Kopa, who was not home during the fire, said: “We are so devastated about losing our neighbours. They are people whom we used to meet and greet every day. It is heartbreaking to think of going to live in the same place where we lost 16 neighbours, some of whom were close to us.”

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The Dubai Civil Defence Operations Room was notified about the fire at 12.35 pm on Saturday, officials said.

A team from the Dubai Civil Defence headquarters arrived at the site of the blaze and began evacuating residents from the building.

Teams from the Port Saeed Fire Station and the Hamriyah Fire Station were also summoned.

The flames were doused by 2:42 pm (local time), the paper said.

Around 3 pm, the civil defence team rescued the occupants on the third floor by cranes.

According to the Khaleej Times newspaper, eyewitnesses said they saw flames billowing out of the building.

(With PTI inputs)