Indian Couple Who Died In Dubai Fire Was Preparing Iftar For Neighbours: Report

AN INDIAN couple who died in the major fire at an apartment in Dubai, were making iftar mean for neighbours, said a media report cited by PTI.

The couple- Rijesh Kalangadan, 38, and his wife Jeshi Kandamangalath, 32, who were killed along with 14 others on Saturday evening were preparing Vishusadhya, a Hindu harvest festival meal, for their Muslim neighbours to end their fast.

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

According to a report by the Gulf news, the couple were celebrating Vishu on Saturday and had invited their Muslim neighbours, a group of bachelors from Kerala, for iftar.

Speaking about the couple, Riyas Kaikambam, who lived with seven roommates in apartment number 409, said that Kalangadan and Kandamangalath were very friendly and used to invite Kaikambam and his roommates during festivals.

"They had invited us during Onam and Vishu lunches earlier also. This time, they told us to come for iftar as it is Ramzan," he was quoyted as saying by PTI. Recalling when he last saw the couple outside their apartment, Kaikambam said, "I could see the teacher was crying."

"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 said that they used to meet their neighbours almost every day and the incident has devasted them. "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."

16 people were killed in a fire at a residential building in Dubai's Dera on Saturday. According to the police, the couple died of suffocation. The security guard who took part in the rescue operations has also died, informed the police. The police suspect that the cause of the fire was short-circuiting.

(With inputs from agencies)