CHENNAI: The families of the 10 victims who lost their lives in a boat accident in Vietnam have appealed to the Tamil Nadu government and the Central government to expedite the process of repatriating the bodies as soon as possible.
15 people, including 10 from Tamil Nadu, died in a boat accident off Vietnam’s Phu Quoc Island on Saturday. Of the remaining victims, three are from Andhra Pradesh and two from Kerala.
On Sunday, family members of 54-year-old Sheikh Abdullah Abdul Majeed appealed to the Tamil Nadu government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to help return his brother’s mortal remains.
“We received information about the incident around 2pm on Saturday. At around 4.30pm, we were informed about his death. We request the Tamil Nadu government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take necessary steps to bring my brother Pak’s body home safely,” Mohammad Abdullah Majeed, a relative, told reporters.
He added that Majeed, a mobile phone dealer, left behind his son and daughter. He went on a trip to Vietnam sponsored by a mobile phone company
In response to a question, he said: “Usually (Majid) avoids taking foreign trips. This time too, he asked his son to participate in the trip on his behalf. But at the last minute, he changed his plans and left for Vietnam on July 8.”
He added: “Even on Saturday morning, before taking the boat trip, he called us from Vietnam and spoke to family members. He told us that he was going to an island and the cell phone network might be weak and he would not be able to talk and call once he returned to the hotel room. But he died in a tragic accident.”
Likewise, Muruga’s brother Prabhu Arumugam, another victim, urged the central government to bring the body of his deceased relative as soon as possible.
“We hail from Palani. Muruga Prabhu was 44. Backward Classes Welfare Minister Sampath Kumar and Prohibition Minister K Vignesh called us and they all assured us of help. We requested them to bring back my brother’s body quickly,” he said. said Mahendran, Muruga’s brother Prabhu Arumugam.
Meanwhile, the family of Vinaya Kumar Chithapuram Bhaskara from Vellore said that 40-year-old Vinaya had gone to Vietnam to participate in the event organized by the smartphone company in Vietnam.
“We were informed of his death on Saturday evening. We request the governments to quickly hand over his body to us so that we can perform the final rites,” his father-in-law Sekar told reporters.
He pointed out that Vinaya Kumar’s wife, Jayasree, had to be admitted to CMC, Vellore after she was shocked by the news of her husband’s death.
“We are trying our best to overcome the situation. We only request the Tamil Nadu government and the central government to take action and return the body soon,” he added.
