Saudi fire: Victims' bodies reach city

Mangaluru: The mortal remains of two out of the five victims who perished in the fire that broke out during routine maintenance at United Petrochemical Company Plant in the Saudi Industrial City of Jubail on April 16, arrived here on Monday. At least 14, including five from Dakshina Kannada district were reported dead in the incident. The bodies of Karthik Sanil, 30, from Kolnadu near Mulki and Ashraf, 30, from Haleangadi arrived on Monday.
The kin of the deceased were waiting at Mangaluru International Airport at Kenjar since morning. The body that was expected to arrive at 10.30am reached MIA only at 3.30pm.
Their angst was compounded by the fact that they were reportedly not informed about the delay. Ashraf's brother and a representative of the company who travelled from Saudi and reached Mangaluru at 10.30am realized that that bodies had not come from Mumbai.
The mortal remains of Bhaskar Poojary, 44, Balakrishna Poojary, 43, and Vincent Monteiro, 36, is expected to reach the city in the early hours of Tuesday.
Deputy commissioner A B Ibrahim had written a letter to the ministry of external affairs on April 18 seeking immediate action for repatriation of bodies of those who died in the mishap.
He also urged the ministry to contact the Indian embassy in Saudi Arabia to take necessary and immediate action for the repatriation.