Flight makes emergency landing in UAE as boy dies on board

A four-year-old Indian boy died onboard a flight while returning from Saudi Arabia after performing Umrah.

Yahya Puthiyapurayil developed epileptic seizures 45 minutes after take-off from Jeddah on an Oman Air flight bound for Kozhikode in Kerala, the boy's uncle told media.

The flight made an emergency landing in Abu Dhabi on Monday afternoon after the tragic incident, confirmed the airline.

"He was running a mild fever while boarding the flight from Jeddah, and developed epileptic seizures in mid-air. He died on his mother's lap. The family is inconsolable," said Mohammed Nadeer, the boy's uncle, who lives in Abu Dhabi.

Yahya is the son of Muhammad Ali and Jubairiah, who were also travelling with the boy. The couple has three children, and Yahya was the youngest.

According to Nadeer, Yahya was a



specially-abled child who could not walk or talk. "He was wheel-chair bound and had been undergoing treatment since his birth." He was travelling with a 13-member family pilgrimage group including his parents, uncles and cousins.

An Indian embassy official said the boy's body was repatriated on early Tuesday morning on an Etihad flight. The body reached Kannur and burial was done by afternoon, according to relatives.

"We were notified about the tragic incident on Monday afternoon. We spoke to the Immigration officials in Abu Dhabi to facilitate the visa for the father. It was around 10:30pm in the night when the formalities were completed. We opened the embassy at night and facilitated the cancellation of the boy's passport and registration of death and issued the no-objection letter to take the mortal remains to India," M. Raja Murugan, Counsellor (Consular) at the embassy told Khaleej Times.