Hindu couple who died in Dubai blaze were preparing iftar for Muslim neighbours

News Network
April 17, 2023

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Dubai, Apr 17: An Indian couple who was killed in the Dubai apartment fire on Saturday was preparing an iftar meal for their neighbours, according to multiple media reports. 

Rijesh Kalangadan, 38, his wife Jeshi Kandamangalath, 32, and their neighbours, Imam Kasim, 43, and S Mohammed Rafeeq, were among the 16 people who died in the blaze. Several others were injured.

Rijesh, who worked as a business development manager with a travel and tourism company, and Jeshi, who worked as a schoolteacher, were celebrating Vishu on April 15 when the tragic accident occurred. The duo were apparently sleeping when the fire broke out and died of asphyxia.

The fire broke out in Al Murar area of Dubai’s Deira neighbourhood on Saturday afternoon and was reported to fire officials at 12.35 pm local time (2.05 pm IST), reported UAE-based Khaleej Times. The exact cause of the fire is yet to be determined, but witnesses said that they heard a bang and a ball of smoke and fire from the fourth floor of the apartment building. Initial reports suggest that the fire may have been caused by a short circuit in the AC.

A Dubai-based businessman who volunteers with the Indian Consulate on repatriation issues told news agency Associated Press that authorities had identified the dead as six Sudanese, four Indians, three Pakistanis, a Cameroonian, an Egyptian and a Jordanian, and that the authorities are trying to speed up the paperwork to return the remains of the deceased to their homelands.

Friends remember the couple

Rijesh’s friend Mansoor Ali told Khaleej Times that he visited several hospitals hoping to find them among those admitted with injuries. “Rijesh and I are from the same village in Kerala. He came to the UAE around 10 years ago and I came here before him. When I heard the news on Saturday, initially, I was hoping and praying that I would find Rijesh and his wife at one of the hospitals. However, when I did not find them in any of the hospitals that I visited, I felt a pit in my stomach. I was beginning to realise that they probably did not make it. Then, I found their bodies in the mortuary. I am feeling extremely low and still trying to get a grip on what has happened,” he said.

Their neighbours told Gulf News that the couple were preparing Vishu Sadhya and had invited their Muslim neighbours to break the Ramzan fast with them.

One of their neighbours, Riyas Kaikambam, said that the couple were very friendly and used to invite him and his seven roommates for meals during festivals. “They used to live in the next building earlier. They moved to our building two years ago. They had invited us during Onam and Vishu lunches earlier also. This time, they told us to come for iftar as it is Ramadan,” he said.

He told the media house that he last saw them outside the apartment. “There was no response to calls later. I could see Rijesh’s last seen status on WhatsApp at 12.35 pm. I just can’t believe the man who helped me book my flight ticket for Sunday, the man who invited me for iftar, is gone [along with his wife],” said Riyas.

Rijesh’s uncle told Gulf News that he had spoken to his family that day to wish them on Vishu and that the couple were planning to visit Kerala to hold a function for their newly built house in the state.

His roommate Suhail Kopa too told Gulf News that he was devastated by the demise of his neighbours. Sunil was not at home during the fire. “They are people whom we used to meet and greet every day. It is heartbreaking to think of going to live in the same place where we lost 16 neighbours, some of whom were close to us,” he said.

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News Network
November 30,2025

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Mangaluru, Nov 30: A 22-year-old college student succumbed to her injuries at a private hospital in Mangaluru today, days after she was hit by a goods tempo while crossing a road in Padubidri.

The deceased has been identified as Preksha, a resident of Nadsalu Billitota in Padubidri. The fatal incident occurred as Preksha, who was returning home after completing her examination, attempted to cross the service road towards Mangaluru. She was struck by a goods tempo approaching from the Udupi side, causing her to fall and sustain a severe head injury.

Prompt action from local residents ensured she received immediate first aid before being rushed to a hospital in Mangaluru for specialised treatment. Despite medical efforts, she passed away while undergoing care.

Preksha was a student at Karavali College, Vamanjoor on the outskirts of Mangaluru city. The tragedy is compounded by the fact that she belonged to a financially vulnerable family, having previously lost her father. She is survived by her mother and brother.

A case related to the accident has been registered at the Padubidri police station, and an investigation is underway to determine the exact circumstances that led to the collision. The incident highlights the growing concerns over road safety, particularly on busy service roads, and serves as a tragic reminder of the human cost of traffic accidents.

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News Network
November 22,2025

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The Israeli regime’s forces have killed two Palestinian children in the Gaza Strip every day since the ceasefire began in early October, UNICEF has warned.

The UN children’s agency said on Friday that Israeli forces continue to attack Palestinians in Gaza even though the agreement was meant to stop the killing.

“Since 11 October, while the ceasefire has been in effect, at least 67 children have been killed in conflict-related incidents in the Gaza Strip. Dozens more have been injured. That is an average of almost two children killed every day since the ceasefire took effect,” UNICEF spokesperson Ricardo Pires said in Geneva, reminding that each number in the statistics represents a child whose life had ended violently.

“These are not statistics,” he said. “Each child had a story, a family, and a future that was stolen from them.”

Data from Palestinian factions, human rights groups, and government bodies recorded since the US-brokered ceasefire deal went into effect on October 10 show that Israeli forces have carried out numerous attacks, each constituting a separate ceasefire violation.

UNICEF teams say they repeatedly continue to witness heart-wrenching scenes of fearful Palestinian children sleeping outdoors with amputated limbs, while others live as orphans in flooded, makeshift shelters.

“I saw this myself in August. There is no safe place for them. The world cannot normalize their suffering,” Pires said, lamenting that the UN could “do a lot more if the aid that is really needed was entering faster.”

The UNICEF spokesperson warned that with the advent of winter, the risks for hundreds of thousands of displaced children will increase.

He warned, “The stakes are incredibly high” for children as winter acts as a threat multiplier, where children have no heating, no insulation, and few blankets. He said respiratory infections rise.

“Too many children have already paid the highest price,” Pires said. “Too many are still paying it, even under a ceasefire. The world promised them it would stop and that we would protect them.”

“Now we must act like it,” the UNICEF spokesperson added.

Since the Israeli regime launched its genocidal war against Palestinians in Gaza in October 2023, it has killed nearly 70,000 people in the territory, most of them women and children, and injured over 170,000 more, while reducing most of the structures in the enclave to rubble.

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News Network
November 22,2025

gaza.jpg

The Israeli regime’s forces have killed two Palestinian children in the Gaza Strip every day since the ceasefire began in early October, UNICEF has warned.

The UN children’s agency said on Friday that Israeli forces continue to attack Palestinians in Gaza even though the agreement was meant to stop the killing.

“Since 11 October, while the ceasefire has been in effect, at least 67 children have been killed in conflict-related incidents in the Gaza Strip. Dozens more have been injured. That is an average of almost two children killed every day since the ceasefire took effect,” UNICEF spokesperson Ricardo Pires said in Geneva, reminding that each number in the statistics represents a child whose life had ended violently.

“These are not statistics,” he said. “Each child had a story, a family, and a future that was stolen from them.”

Data from Palestinian factions, human rights groups, and government bodies recorded since the US-brokered ceasefire deal went into effect on October 10 show that Israeli forces have carried out numerous attacks, each constituting a separate ceasefire violation.

UNICEF teams say they repeatedly continue to witness heart-wrenching scenes of fearful Palestinian children sleeping outdoors with amputated limbs, while others live as orphans in flooded, makeshift shelters.

“I saw this myself in August. There is no safe place for them. The world cannot normalize their suffering,” Pires said, lamenting that the UN could “do a lot more if the aid that is really needed was entering faster.”

The UNICEF spokesperson warned that with the advent of winter, the risks for hundreds of thousands of displaced children will increase.

He warned, “The stakes are incredibly high” for children as winter acts as a threat multiplier, where children have no heating, no insulation, and few blankets. He said respiratory infections rise.

“Too many children have already paid the highest price,” Pires said. “Too many are still paying it, even under a ceasefire. The world promised them it would stop and that we would protect them.”

“Now we must act like it,” the UNICEF spokesperson added.

Since the Israeli regime launched its genocidal war against Palestinians in Gaza in October 2023, it has killed nearly 70,000 people in the territory, most of them women and children, and injured over 170,000 more, while reducing most of the structures in the enclave to rubble.

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