Worried Gulf NRIs’ Kin Offer Prayers, Stay Glued to TV
Sirens were sounded and emergency evacuations were made after one of the missiles landed at Fairmont hotel.
Hyderabad:Relatives of Hyderabadis working in Gulf nations remained glued to television screens and WhatsApp groups, tracking every development in real time. Prayers were offered in homes and mosques as uncertainty loomed over loved ones abroad and stories of close encounters with the war started being shared.
Nearly 15 lakh people from Telangana, including a significant number from Hyderabad, work in the Gulf nations. The community includes a wide range of professionals, from IT experts and healthcare workers to construction labourers and domestic staff.
Ever since the parents of Dr Shahla Fatima, practicing in Bahrain, came to know about the missile strikes 3 — a missile landed just a few kilometres away from her residence — they remain disturbed and were spending sleepless nights.
As sirens wailed, Dr Fatima held her five-year-old son close and told him the flashes and sounds were ‘just fireworks,’ hoping to shield him from the harsh reality unfolding outside their windows. “That was so close that she was able to see the explosion from her flat’s window. We were praying all throughout the night after we heard about the news,” said Syed Fazil Hussain Parvez of Malakpet, the father of Dr Fatima.
"Most of the damage is due to the falling debris of the destroyed structures", said Zafar Akbar, City’s NRI in Dubai staying there for close to five decades.
Tourists from Telangana are now stranded and remain confined to their hotels. Relatives are enquiring about the well-being of the consulate general of the UAE in Hyderabad. Venugopal Reddy who along with his friend left on a vacation for Dubai from February 27 had a shocking experience as they were touring the Burj Khalifa area on February 28.
Sirens were sounded and emergency evacuations were made after one of the missiles landed at Fairmont hotel. “Within an hour or so after my father reached the Burj Khalifa area, sirens were sounded and they had to leave in haste. Now they are in a hotel and are safe as most missiles are being intercepted by UAE authorities,” said Satish Reddy, worried about father’s wellbeing.
With Ramzan underway, several individuals offered special prayers, while some families in Hyderabad chose to forgo iftar gatherings as the situation turned grim. "We are all safe. The Indian government and the embassy are taking all the measures. The situation is safe here, so far", exclaimed Mohammed Abdul Nayeem, chairman of Masah Constructions in Saudi Arabia.