‘I shot myself in the head and survived’

A teenager who accidentally shot himself in the head has warned others to stay away from firearms.

“Even though I was used to handling the rifle, this accident happened. I urge everyone to be careful when using any firearm,” 17-year-old Abdulqadir Al Alawi told Times of Oman.

On November 20, 2018, Abdulqadir’s legally owned rifle misfired after he tripped while trying to scare away a cat in his family compound.

Four bullet fragments ricocheted and lodged in his head. Miraculously, he did not lose consciousness and managed to run for help.

“When I shot myself I didn’t faint, my first reaction was to run outside into my cousin’s car and I told him to take me to the hospital. I didn’t feel pain at first but when I reached the hospital I started getting scared,” said Abdulqadir

The biggest bullet fragment hit his left thumb before piercing his tongue and nose, eventually lodging in his brain. Three smaller fragments were distributed between the lower jaw, the upper jaw and the bone over the eyebrow.

The bullet inside his chin was partly removed at a Government Hospital in Oman.

“There was a possibility of complications or swelling so they decided to take me abroad to be treated urgently,” Abdulqadir added. Over a month later Abdulqadir flew to Kochi, India to undergo a rare operation which took eight hours, at VPS Lakeshore Hospital, to remove the bullet fragments.