Body of Indian killed in UAE ship fire still in mortuary

The body of an Indian expatriate in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), who was charred to death following a fire in a cargo vessel a month ago, is still in the mortuary due to court procedures to claim insurance money, a media report said.

Sailor Deepak Singh, 20, from the north Indian state of Uttarakhand, was found fully charred after the cargo ship 'Al Reem' caught fire off the UAE's Sharjah coast March 24, Emirates 24/7 reported Tuesday.

The vessel was carrying four other people, including two other Indians, Nirmal Goswami and Satya Dev, who are undergoing treatment in Sharjah's Kuwait Hospital.

The two other members of the crew, that included a Bangladeshi, are missing.

The police tried to douse the fire on the vessel that sank later and rescued the victims on board.

The cargo of the vessel, on its way from Khalid Port to Iran, included a highly inflammable material.

"On that terrible day, the fire started from the charger of a power generator due to a short circuit and our friend Deepak Singh, who was sleeping in another room, could not come out. There was a gas cylinder inside the room and he was fully charred to death. Clearance for sending thedead body of Deepak has been issued, but still there is no news about any compensation for his family," Emirates 24/7 quoted Goswami as saying.

An Indian social worker, Uma Rani Padmanabhan, said: "The families of the survivors of the fire are eagerly waiting for their home coming. Satya Dev, who is the most severely burnt victim with 80 percent injury, is still undergoing blood transfusion and other treatment. Nirmal Goswami, another victim, is recovering and is in a position to leave the UAE for further treatment back home."

The Indian consulate in Dubai has issued new passports to the victims as their passports and other documents were burnt in the ship fire, the report said.

A ship chartering official did not comment about insurance compensation, it added.