Body of deceased Indian marine technician in Gulf repatriated to home in Andhra Pradesh

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The mortal remains of one of the two Indians, who died onboard a tanker off the coast of Sharjah last month, have been repatriated to his native place in Andhra Pradesh, according to a media report.

Two Indians died in a fire on board the unloaded vessel MT SAM, 21 miles off the coast of Sharjah on January 29. The two deceased Indians were identified as Shiva Naga Babu from Andhra Pradesh and Basudeb Haldar from West Bengal, the Gulf News reported.

"Mortal remains of late Shri Shiva Naga Babu, one of the victims of (the) fire accident on the vessel MT SAM has been sent to India this morning. Mortal remains of other identified Indian Shri Basudeb Haldar will also be sent to India shortly," the Consulate General of India, Dubai, tweeted on Thursday.

At the time of the fire, there were 12 crew members and 44 technicians on board the vessel, including Indians, Bangladeshis, Pakistanis, Ethiopians, among other nationalities.

Other than Babu and Haldar, two other Indians also died in the fire. However, they were yet to be identified, the report said.

As of now, the unidentified Indians are suspected to be Kolangi Thankavel from Tamil Nadu and Mohammad Abbas Ansari from Bihar, the Gulf News report said.

Earlier, Consul General of India in Dubai Vipul told the newspaper that local authorities would identify the two unidentified Indians using DNA tests.

All the victims were technicians hired by a Fujairah-based company for maintenance work in the vessel which was to sail to India, the report said.