Telangana man killed in missile strike in Riyadh

Ravi Gopal is survived by his wife and a four-year-old son

Hyderabad: In an incident that has shattered the lives of a rural family, a Gulf immigrant from the Mahabubabad district of Telangana was killed in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, after the debris of an intercepted missile was believed to have fallen on him.

The incident happened on the night of March 18, when Ravi Gopal was working near an oil refinery. According to his family members, at around 9.30 pm, he called them on the phone. About 20 minutes in, his call got disconnected.

His family members tried calling him back, but in vain. They tried reaching his co-workers, but even they weren’t reachable. The next day, Ravi’s friend Ram Vilas called the family and informed them about Ravi’s death in the missile attack.

A missile fired by Iran at Riyadh was intercepted by Saudi Arabia, and its debris fell near an oil refinery where Ravi Gopal was known to be working.

With the death of Ravi, the number of Indians who died in the Gulf countries after tensions between US-Israel and Iran began rose to 6.

The Union Ministry of External Affairs has confirmed his death. Aseem R Mahajan, Joint Secretary (Gulf), the Ministry of External Affairs, stated that his officials were in constant touch with the deceased’s family members, and after the legal procedures are completed, his mortal remains will be handed over to his family members.

“Six Indian nationals have unfortunately lost their lives, and one is missing in various incidents. Our missions in Saudi Arabia, Oman, Iraq, and the UAE are in regular touch with the concerned authorities regarding the missing Indian national and for the early repatriation of mortal remains of the deceased Indian nationals to India,” Assem Mahajan said in a press conference on Friday, March 20, as quoted by ANI.

“Fifteen Indian crew members of MT Safesea Vishnu, who were safely rescued, have left Iraq yesterday and are expected to return from Saudi Arabia to India today. 24 rescued Indian seafarers, including 16 who were on board MV MKD Vyom and 8 on board MT Skylight, have earlier arrived in India from Oman,” he further stated.

He, however, didn’t explain what led to Ravi’s death. He urged the Indians living in the middle-eastern countries to be cautious during the war.

Ravi Gopal is survived by his wife and a four-year-old son. With the death of the only bread-winner in the family, the victimised family is now left pleading with the state government to come to their rescue.

(With inputs from agencies)