Salalah mourns former long-time resident Ranjitha Gopakumar, victim of Ahmedabad plane crash
MUSCAT: A deep sense of sorrow has gripped Salalah's Indian community as residents mourn the loss of Ranjitha Gopakumar, a former long-time resident of the city who was among the 241 victims killed in Thursday's tragic crash of a London-bound Air India Dreamliner shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad.
Ranjitha, a 38-year-old nurse from Kerala, had lived and worked in Salalah for nearly a decade before moving to the UK in search of better prospects. She had returned to India recently to complete formalities for renewing her job at a government hospital in Pathanamthitta, her hometown in Kerala.
Dr Sandeep Ojha, General Secretary of the Indian Social Club (ISC) in Salalah, expressed the community's shock and grief. Speaking to Times of Oman, he said:
"Ranjitha Gopakumar worked in Sultan Qaboos Hospital for around nine years and left Salalah about two years ago. At that time, her mother and two children were staying here with her. The children studied in Indian School Salalah. It is very tragic. Our heartfelt condolences to her family and to all families who lost their near and dear ones in the terrible tragedy in Ahmedabad on Thursday.'
He added, 'There were quite a few families who remembered her as a soft-spoken and helpful lady. We are all devastated by the accident and mourn the loss of a long-time resident.'
After relocating to the UK, Ranjitha had continued her career in nursing. According to media reports, she was in the process of collecting her release certificate from her hospital in the UK and had plans to settle back in Pathanamthitta with her two young children, who are currently with her mother.
On the day of the crash, she was on a connecting journey from Chennai to Ahmedabad, intending to fly onward to London. Her dream of reuniting with her children in a new home she was building now lies shattered.
The tragedy has not only left her family and friends in Kerala in mourning, but also touched many in Salalah who remember her warmth and dedication as a healthcare worker and community member.
The crash has claimed the lives of 241 people, including 169 Indian nationals, 53 British nationals, seven Portuguese nationals, and one Canadian national. Tributes have poured in from across the world, including from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who posted on X:
'We are all devastated by the air tragedy in Ahmedabad. The loss of so many lives in such a sudden and heartbreaking manner is beyond words... Om Shanti.'
Former Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar, who hails from Kerala, also shared his condolences on X (formerly known as Twitter), paying tribute to Ranjitha as one of the victims from Kozhencherry.
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