Srinagar, May 26: Body of a Jammu and Kashmir youth, who died eight days before in Kuwait, reached his home in Poonch district on Tuesday.
This is for the first time when a dead body from any J&K resident has been brought to his home from abroad during the COVID-19 lockdown.
Zahoor Ahmad, 28, son of Maqbool Hussain resident of Kandi Gulthain Mendhar area of Poonch district died in Kuwait eight days before due to cardiac arrest.
“He was working there in a private company. Eight days before, he died due to cardiac arrest. After which the family approached the authorities to bring his body home for last rites from Kuwait,” one of the relatives of deceased told KINS.
He said his body had been packed in a coffin by a courier company in Kuwait and was dispatched for New Delhi in a plane. “Divisional Commissioner Jammu had issued movement passes to two family members of the deceased who went to Delhi and received his dead body. Tuesday morning, they along with the dead body reached Mendhar in an ambulance where authorities collected their samples for COVID-19 testing. The family members have been sent to home quarantine as their reports are awaited,” he said. He said the ambulance has charged over Rs 43,000 to the family.
Government has allowed various courier companies to resume their services and deliver service for Indians living abroad.
The repatriation process in various countries like in Kuwait is a long process involving various departments with multiple documentations.
There are some people and NGOs who are helping grieving families of the deceased to get their loved ones back from there.
Block Medical Officer Mendhar Dr Parvaiz Ahmed Khan confirmed to news agency KINS that they collected samples of all three for COVID-19 testing.
“After dead body reached here, samples were taken for all including two persons who carried the body from Delhi Airport. Both persons have been kept under home quarantine,” he added. (KINS)