UAE: Indian family seeks answers after engineer son dies aboard Sharjah vessel
His father, Anil Tiwari, recounted their last exchange. Speaking to Khaleej Times from his home, he said he had messaged Anurag 'Best of luck' at 4am India time (2.30am UAE time) on June 29.
Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels.
'He responded immediately, so I knew he was awake and probably preparing to leave. I didn't call then,' he said. 'But when I tried (to call) at 7am and got no reply, I assumed he was busy. Later, when even my messages went unanswered, I thought it must be a network issue.'
At 9.38pm, the family received a call informing them that Anurag was no more.
What happened at the ship?
According to an email from the Mumbai-based placement agency, Avishka Shipping Pvt Ltd (ASPL), Anurag was found unconscious in the ship's engine room. CPR was administered, and he was transported by crew boat to the port, but emergency responders found no pulse during the ECG. A preliminary forensic report cited heatstroke leading to multi-organ failure as the cause of death.
Khaleej Times contacted Avishka Shipping Pvt Ltd through email and phone calls. No response was received at the time of publication.
The family was not convinced, saying that the official explanation has not addressed their concerns. They are now calling for an independent investigation into the circumstances of Anurag's death.
Anil questioned why his son was allegedly sent alone into the engine room, a task he claims should have been carried out in teams. 'Anurag had clearly told us that no one would go in alone. The job was to be done together. Then why was he by himself?'
The family also believes that critical safety procedures may not have been followed. 'The SOP clearly warns about toxic gases, and the area was supposed to be ventilated before anyone entered,' Anil said.
He added that the sequence of events remains unclear. 'There's no timeline: when exactly he was sent to the engine room, who found him, or what immediate medical aid was provided. None of that has been shared with us.'
Anil also questioned the emergency response. 'If he was still breathing but unconscious, why was CPR performed? That's generally done when the heart stops. We just want honest answers.'
'A serious discrepancy'
Anurag had joined the crew in Dubai on June 19. He was working as a third engineer for Singapore-headquartered Synergy Ship Arabia, which was overseeing the commissioning of Jana 505, a jack-up vessel owned by a Saudi conglomerate.
In a letter to the family, ASPL's general manager stated that Anurag collapsed during offloading operations and was found in the engine room. However, Anil said they were initially told that his son had fainted on the deck. 'That's a serious discrepancy. The deck and the engine room are entirely different locations.'
The Indian Consulate in Dubai, responding to Khaleej Times said: 'The Consulate was in constant touch with the bereaved family and extended all possible assistance for the repatriation of the mortal remains.'
Anurag's body arrived in Lucknow on July 5 and was cremated that evening. At home, the grief is still raw.
'My wife and daughter-in-law have fainted twice. They are inconsolable,' Anil said. 'His three-year-old son keeps asking for him. As if he senses something.'
A life full of promise
Anurag had recently purchased a car and was planning to pursue an academic course in shipping in the UK after completing this assignment. 'He had dreams. He was working hard for his family,' Anil said. 'Now we're left with heartbreak, silence, and questions.'
The family is urging UAE authorities to conduct a thorough inquiry, including a toxicology report. 'We request that his blood samples be examined for signs of toxic gas inhalation,' Anil said.
'A proper investigation must be conducted to identify what went wrong and who may be responsible. A life was lost, and a 30-year-old wife, a three-year-old child, and elderly parents were left shattered," he added.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Khaleej Times
41 minutes ago
- Khaleej Times
'We feel scared': Elvish Yadav's father recounts gunfire outside Gurugram residence
After YouTuber and actor Elvish Yadav's Gurugram residence came under gunfire from unidentified men in the early hours of Sunday, Elvish's father, Ram Avtar Yadav, recounted the incident. "We heard a sound around 5.30 in the morning. When we came outside and looked, we saw that bullets had been fired here. Then we immediately checked the CCTV. We found that there were two people involved for sure, and probably a third one too. We informed the police. These people fired more than 15 rounds," said Ram. When asked about Elvish's whereabouts and his reaction to the gunfire incident at his house, Ram said that Elvish usually stays away from the Gurugram residence due to work. "Elvish is fine, I spoke to him. May God give wisdom to the people who did this. Naturally, we feel scared," added Ram Avtar. Unidentified men opened fire outside the residence of Elvish Yadav in Gurugram's Sector 57 on Sunday morning, Police said. According to Gurugram Police, over a "dozen rounds" of ammunition were fired outside the residence of Elvish Yadav. The actor was not present at his residence. "Three masked miscreants opened fire outside the residence of YouTuber and Big Boss OTT winner Elvish Yadav in Gurugram's Sector 57. The incident took place at around 5.30am. More than a dozen rounds were fired. Elvish Yadav was not at his residence at the time of the firing," said Sandeep Kumar, PRO Gurugram Police.
Khaleej Times
an hour ago
- Khaleej Times
Watch: Sharjah Police share video of car hitting man, remind pedestrians to cross safely
UAE authorities have time and again called on pedestrians to cross at designated areas, introduced strict penalties for jaywalking, and tightened laws on road safety. Yet, some individuals can be seen running across roads in an attempt to get to the other side quicker. Sharjah police released a video of an accident where a man is seen running across the pedestrian crossing as a car approaches, resulting in the collision between the two, and the loss of a life. Although the man is crossing at a designated area, it appears as though he is crossing while the signal indicates green for vehicles. Authorities reminded the public that "almost every report [of an accident] starts with the same cause — unsafe crossing." When crossing in a reckless manner to save a few seconds or minutes, the pedestrian endangers their life and of others on the roads. When accidents occur, they affect not just the victim, but their loved ones, authorities reminded. Watch a video, shared by Sharjah Police, here: A new traffic law which came into effect on March 29 introduced hefty fines and even jail time for jaywalking across the UAE, which refers to crossing from unauthorised areas. Before March, the penalty for jaywalking was Dh400. However, under the new law, jaywalkers could face imprisonment and a fine of Dh5,000 to Dh10,000 if the offence results in a traffic accident. In addition, those who cross from undesignated areas on roads with a speed limit of 80kmph or more will face higher penalties. For such a violation, fines start at Dh10,000 and the individual will be punished with imprisonment for a period of not less than three months, or by one of these two penalties.
Khaleej Times
5 hours ago
- Khaleej Times
UAE businessman recounts chilling 39-hour kidnapping ordeal in India
A UAE-based businessman who was kidnapped while on a short vacation in India has opened up about his experience. VP Shameer described his 39-hour ordeal where, according to him, he was beaten, choked, deprived of food and badgered for money. He said that he was worried for his family and didn't think he would see them again. 'I thought about my daughter and wife while I was being held in captivity,' he told Khaleej Times on a call from India. 'I thought I would never see them again. I was worried about their safety. That is all that was on my mind. The people who held me had no mercy and were ready to do anything for money. It was the prayers of my loved ones and my staff that brought me back.' According to Shameer, who runs a chain of pharmacies in the UAE, he had returned to his hometown in the southern Indian state of Kerala for a short vacation when the incident occurred. He claimed that the kidnappers made ransom demands to his business partner and warned his wife to withdraw the police complaint she had lodged. Shameer said the case stemmed from a dispute involving a restaurant based in Al Barsha. 'In 2023, a UAE court ruled in my favor awarding me compensation of Dh675,000,' he said. 'However, those involved in it had been threatening me for a while asking me to withdraw the case. Earlier this year, we slapped a travel ban on them and an arrest warrant because the outstanding dues had not been settled.' He alleged that the accused in the case got closer to one of his disgruntled former employees, who was fired for misconduct in 2022. 'They then roped in a few other former employees and began to spread toxic information about me,' he said. 'This was something we were aware of but we didn't expect them to escalate it like this and actually kidnap me.' Abducted near home Shameer said he was driving his motorcycle in a gully, just 50 meters away from his home, when a white SUV drove in front of him and blocked his way. A group of men allegedly got out and demanded that he get into the vehicle. Another car parked behind him to prevent him from getting away. The CCTV footage of the incident shows that it took place at 7.52pm IST on Thursday. 'One of the men hit me and I fell,' he recalled. 'They then forcibly carried me into the SUV. From the vehicle several men hit me. One person put a shirt around my neck and held it from behind. So if I reacted to their (attacks) in any way, the man would tighten the shirt and choke me. They demanded that I pay them a total of Dh1.5 million as ransom and to withdraw the travel ban and arrest warrant of the accused in the Barsha restaurant case.' According to him, the men switched off all their phones and continued driving for hundreds of kilometres. 'From glimpses of signages and looking at the buses, I knew they were taking me to the southern part of Kerala,' he said. Shameer said that on Wednesday morning at 9, two of the men switched on their phones and realized that the abduction had made it to the news. 'They started to panic and then hit me some more for it becoming so highly publicized,' he said. 'They then called my partner and my wife asking her to withdraw the case.' Rescue operation His captors allegedly changed cars with him twice and once stopped at a house, all the while continuing to negotiate with him. He said they lowered their demands twice when he told them he couldn't pay the full amount- going down to Dh800,000 eventually. 'First they asked for cheque leaves and then changed their minds saying they wanted cash,' he said. 'When I said I would need to return to the UAE to get that much cash to them, they started to lose patience.' 'The kidnappers had told me that they would kill me as soon as we crossed the border,' he said. 'It would have taken a lot of time for the police of both states to liaise with each other and then initiate a search and rescue operation for me. I was beginning to losing hope as we drew closer to the border.' According to Shameer, it was on Thursday morning after 11 that Kerala Police dramatically rescued him from Kollam — more than 300 kilometers away from where he was kidnapped. 'The police were not sure which of the two vehicles I was in. So they pulled up to the front of the car after a high-speed chase,' he said. 'They then arrested the men and rescued me. If they were even half an hour late, we would have crossed the border into the state of Tamil Nadu, where they had threatened to kill me. It felt like the longest 39 hours of my life.' He credited Kerala Police for their intense efforts to rescue him. 'They spent the entire night in my house questioning my family and going through my records to find a motive,' he said. 'They then split into three squads to trace the movements of my kidnappers and find them. I am very grateful for their efforts.'
