Tragic Road Accident Claims Indian Toddler's Life in Sharjah
Family reunion ends in heartbreak after 1-year-old child is struck by a car in Muweilah.
A family reunion turned tragic after an Indian toddler visiting his father in the United Arab Emirates died in a road accident in Sharjah.
The boy, aged one year and nine months, had arrived in the country a month ago with his mother to spend time with his father, a salesperson originally from the Indian state of Kerala. The incident occurred on Wednesday evening around 7pm in the Muweilah area of Sharjah.
According to a colleague of the father, the child was walking with his mother below their residential building when the accident happened. “The mother was just throwing away garbage when the child suddenly broke loose and ran on to the road,” said M.K. “The driver could not stop the vehicle on time.”
At the time of the accident, the boy’s father was at work in Dubai. Colleagues rushed to assist the family and the child was transported by ambulance to hospital, but doctors were unable to save him.
“The ambulance rushed the boy to the hospital, but nothing could be done to save him. By the time the father reached the hospital, the child had died,” M.K. said.
Authorities expedited the necessary procedures following the incident, and the child was buried on Thursday after the Asr prayer in Dubai.
Heartbreaking funeral scenes
Friends described emotional scenes at the funeral, where relatives and community members gathered to support the grieving parents.
“When the body was shown to the mother, she cried and fainted,” M.K. said. “The father then came and took her aside. There was not a single dry eye. It was such an emotional scene.”
The child was the couple’s only son and was born after six years of marriage. A month earlier, the mother and child had arrived at Abu Dhabi International Airport for what was meant to be a joyful reunion.
“It was supposed to be a joyous family reunion. The father had taken time off to go pick them up. He was so happy to have them with here,” M.K. recalled.
Following the funeral, the couple returned to their hometown in Kerala. Colleagues said the company is providing ongoing support and has encouraged the father to take as much time off as needed.
“We are all praying that God gives them the strength to get through this trying time,” M.K. said.