Hyderabadi Techie Killed in Riyadh Airport Attack; Kin to Perform Last Rites in Saudi Arabia
Yousuf Ali had been working in Riyadh for the past 10 years.
Hyderabad:The family of Mohammed Yousuf Ali, a 46-year-old IT engineer from Hyderabad’s Mehdipatnam who died in an attack at Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport on Sunday, has decided to conduct his final rites in Riyadh.
Yousuf Ali had been working in Riyadh for the past 10 years. He was at the airport with his wife, three children and his aunt to travel to the sacred Medina for the Umrah pilgrimage when the attack occurred. The family had arrived in Saudi Arabia about 10 days earlier.
According to his relatives who spoke with Deccan Chronicle, immediately after the missile struck the airport, the debris fell on Yousuf, his family and other pilgrims waiting in the airport lounge. Yousuf suffered critical injuries and later died at a hospital while undergoing treatment. The Indian Embassy in Riyadh confirmed his death in the attack on Sunday night.
Both his sons, 18-year-old Aman Ali and 16-year-old Wasi Ali were critically injured in the attack. Aman underwent surgery on his knee, while Wasi lost three of his toes and was undergoing treatment at a hospital in Riyadh. Yousuf’s wife Sameera and their 11-year-old daughter Maryam escaped with minor injuries, and his aunt suffered head injuries but is out of danger.
Following news of his death, relatives and friends gathered at Ali’s residence in Mehdipatnam. They expressed grief over the loss and called on international peace organisations to condemn the attack and ensure justice for the victims.
Irshad, a neighbour, said Ali was a gentle person and recalled speaking to him about the pilgrimage just 10 days earlier. “He told me he was going for the sacred Umrah pilgrimage with his family. He left us too soon,” he said.
The Indian Embassy authorities have stated that they visited all the hospitals in which the injured are being treated, and assured that they will provide all possible support. “The family of late Mr. Mohammed Yousuf Ali, who passed away in the attack on Riyadh airport, has decided to conduct the funeral in Riyadh itself. Mission is providing all assistance to the bereaved family including completion of all formalities for the funeral”, the Embassy said in a statement.
