A six-year-old girl narrowly escaped a tragic road accident that claimed the lives of her Dubai-based father, mother and aunt after she switched to another vehicle during a brief stop just minutes before the crash in Kerala.
Dubai-based Indian man, wife killed in Kerala road crash; daughter survives after car switch
According to the Gulf News, the victims were identified as Shafid Ebrahim (40), an interior designer working in Dubai, his wife Shahina Shafid (32), and her cousin Jahana Sherin (26).
The accident occurred in the early hours of Friday in Kerala's Malappuram district.
Child's last-minute move proves life-saving
According to reports, Shafid was driving when his car crashed into a lorry parked on the roadside in the Kohinoor area. Heavy rain and poor visibility are suspected to have contributed to the accident.
The family was returning home to Thrissur after attending a family function and spending time at a beach in Kozhikode.
Dubai-based businessman and film producer Thomas Thiruvalla in a social media post said the family had stopped for tea around 30 minutes before the accident.
During the break, Shafid's daughter, Sanfa Fatima, moved to a second vehicle carrying her grandmother, uncle and cousins.
When the journey resumed, Shafid, Shahina and Jahana remained in the first car, which later met with the fatal accident.
Shock and grief in UAE
News of the tragedy spread quickly among the UAE's Indian expatriate community after colleagues and friends shared tributes for Shafid on social media.
Thomas described Shafid, who had worked with his company for 13 years, as a dedicated professional and a person who always radiated positivity.
"He was more than an employee. He treated everyone with warmth and respect. It is difficult to believe he is no longer with us," Thomas told Gulf News.
Shafid had travelled to Kerala on May 25 for a month-long vacation coinciding with the Eid holidays and was scheduled to return to Dubai on June 25.
Funeral held in Kerala
Following the accident, Thomas flew to Kerala to be with the grieving family. Relatives reportedly delayed the funeral until he arrived. The victims were later laid to rest in their hometown.
Visuals circulating on local media showed the vehicle completely mangled after the impact.
In another recent incident involving a Kerala expatriate in the UAE, Dubai-based bakery worker Ismail Ponnan Ibrahim Kutty (40) was killed in Sharjah after an alleged dispute linked to a TikTok livestream escalated into a violent confrontation.
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