Malayalee dies in Sharjah after landing from short trip home
THE family of an Indian expat man is grieving his sudden death that occurred soon after he landed in the UAE following a short trip to his hometown in Kerala.
The deceased, EP Balakrishnan, 68, was a businessman living in Sharjah for over two decades. He is survived by his wife and two sons, who are also Sharjah residents.
Speaking to Gulf News over the phone from Kerala, his elder son Jijesh said Balakrishnan had passed away soon after landing in Sharjah.
“He was here (in Kerala) for five days and went back after I landed here on vacation. I had dropped him off at the airport,” Jijesh recalled.
He said his father had called him as well as his mother and brother in Sharjah after his flight landed around 9.50 pm on Saturday.
“My brother Saneesh went to pick him up from the airport,” said Jijesh, an IT manager.
He said that while Saneesh kept waiting for his father, he was unaware of what had happened inside the airport.
Since there was no sign of his father for longer than what was expected for him to complete the procedures, Saneesh called him.
That was when he was told by the airport officials that Balakrishnan had collapsed after clearing immigration and was rushed to the hospital.
Saneesh, a business development manager, also rushed to the hospital. However, Jijesh said their father had passed away before Saneesh could reach him.
The cause of his death has been identified as a heart attack.
No sign of distress
Jijesh said Balakrishnan had not complained of distress or discomfort before boarding the flight.
He did not talk about any health issues even when he called all of us to say he had landed.”
He recalled that his father had undergone a bypass surgery 15 years ago.
However, Balakrishnan, who ran a consultancy and a plastic production company in Sharjah, was in good health after the surgery and kept shuttling between Sharjah and Kerala frequently.
“He used to come to Kerala for 15-20 days every month. Mostly, my mother also used to accompany him. This time, it was a short trip, and he had come alone,” said Jijesh.
The family repatriated the mortal remains of Balakrishnan to Kerala on a flight that departed around 11.30 pm on Monday. His funeral will be held at his hometown in Iritty in Kannur district this afternoon.
