A six-year-old girl narrowly escaped a tragic road accident when she changed to another car during a layover minutes before a car crash in Kerala that killed her father, mother and aunt in Dubai.Indian man and wife in Dubai killed in Kerala road accident; daughter survives after changing carThe victims were identified as Shafid Ebrahim (40), an interior designer working in Dubai, his wife Shahina Shafid (32) and her cousin Jahana Sherin (26), Gulf News reported.The accident occurred in the early hours of Friday in Malappuram district of Kerala.
Child’s last-minute actions saved life
According to reports, Shafied was driving when his car hit a truck parked on the roadside in Kohinoor area. The accident is suspected to have been caused by heavy rain and poor visibility.The family was returning home to Thrissur after attending a family function and spending time at the beach in Kozhikode.Dubai-based businessman and film producer Thomas Thiruvalla posted on social media that the family had stopped for tea about 30 minutes before the accident.During the break, Shafid’s daughter, Sanfa Fatima, moved to the second car with her grandmother, uncles and cousins.When the journey resumed, Shafied, Shahina and Jahana were still in the first car, which was later involved in a fatal accident.
Shock and sadness in the UAE
News of the tragedy quickly spread among the Indian expatriate community in the UAE after colleagues and friends expressed their condolences to Shafied on social media.Thomas described Shafed, who has been with his company for 13 years, as a dedicated professional and someone who always radiates positivity.“He was more than just an employee. He treated everyone with warmth and respect. It’s hard to believe he has left us,” Thomas told Gulf News.Shafied left for Kerala on May 25 for a month’s holiday, coinciding with the Eid holiday, and planned to return to Dubai on June 25.
Funeral held in Kerala
After the accident, Thomas flew to Kerala to be reunited with his grieving family. Relatives reportedly postponed the funeral until he arrived. The victims were later buried in their hometowns.Video circulated by local media showed the vehicle completely destroyed after the impact.In another recent incident involving expatriates from the UAE’s Kerala state, Dubai bakery worker Ismail Ponnan Ibrahim Kutty (40) was killed in Sharjah after a dispute allegedly related to a TikTok livestream escalated into a violent confrontation.
