Funerals must wait as husbands can’t fly

Duo, who were unable to get a ticket earlier, will travel tomorrow

The bodies of two Indian women back home will be cremated only after their UAE-based husbands can get on a repatriation flight.

Indian truck driver Prasanthan Prabhakaran Nair in Dubai is in a state of shock after learning that his wife died yesterday. His wife Mini developed pneumonia last week and died of complications in Thiruvananthapuram of Kerala.

Hashik T.K., a lawyer who doubles up as a social worker in the UAE, said Mini’s condition began to deteriorate after she contracted pneumonia.

She was on the ventilator for the past four days. He said he was trying to put Nair on the first available flight home since Mini’s condition began to deteriorate, but to no avail. Finally, he was able to secure a confirmed seat for him to fly tomorrow.

Horrible situation

Another Indian worker Vijaya Kumar Kunchan, 50, works as a site supervisor for a construction company in the UAE. His wife died on May 9, but he will be able to fly to Kochi only tomorrow to bid her farewell.

The families of both Nair and Kunchan are waiting for them to land in India to perform the last rites of their wives.

“I have not been able to think straight since the time my wife passed away last Saturday. Every day, I am waiting to hear news on when I can travel. It is a horrible situation,” said Kunchan.

“I come from Palakkad and I will have to travel another 150 kilometres from Kochi to reach my hometown. But I am ready. I just want to reach home,” said the tearful husband.