Qatar gas tragedy: Bodies of 12 victims repatriated to India
NEW DELHI: The mortal remains of eight Indian nationals who died in the Ras Laffan industrial accident in Qatar have been repatriated to India, the Indian Embassy in Doha said on Saturday. The development comes after the remains of four victims were flown back on Friday, completing the repatriation of all 12 deceased Indian nationals, according to the embassy.In a post on X, the embassy said, “Mortal remains of 8 Indian nationals who unfortunately passed away in Ras Laffan accident have been repatriated to India on June 26. 4 out of 12 mortal remains had been repatriated on June 25.”The embassy added, “Embassy of India, Doha thanks Qatari authorities, Indian community organisations and Government authorities in India for their prompt support. Ambassador and Embassy officials also met some of the injured Indian nationals today in Alkhor. The injured have all received appropriate medical attention for which the Embassy thanks Qatari authorities and employer company representatives.”Earlier, on June 25, the Indian Embassy in Doha had announced that the first batch of four mortal remains was being flown to India while efforts continued to repatriate the remaining victims.In its earlier statement on X, the embassy had said, “The mortal remains of 4 out of 12 Indian nationals who unfortunately passed away in Ras Laffan incident are being repatriated to India today. We hope to repatriate other mortal remains also soon. Embassy has kept the families and authorities informed.”It further said, “We thank the Qatari authorities as well as the Indian community organisations for their support and coordination. Embassy has also been in touch with Indians who are injured in the accident.”Separately, the ministry of external affairs (MEA) had said the tragedy figured in high-level diplomatic engagement between India and Qatar. According to MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, Prime Minister Narendra Modi received a phone call from the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, who conveyed his condolences over the deaths of 12 Indian nationals in the accident at Ras Laffan Industrial City on Sunday night.
