'There is virtually no one left in my family' - Sharjah resident

Mohammed Farhan says he has lost as many as seven of his relatives in the plane crash in Mangalore, leaving the family shattered.

DUBAI // Mohammed Farhan, 23, said he has lost as many as seven of his relatives in the crash, leaving the family shattered. A resident of Sharjah, Mr Farhan said yesterday that the victims from his family included young children, women and older men. They were travelling to Mangalore, their hometown, for various reasons, he said. "There is virtually no one left in my family now. It is just fate that they all decided to take the same flight," Mr Farhan said. His cousin Irshad Ahmed, Mr Ahmed's wife, Neha Parveen, and their son were going on annual leave while his uncle and other distant relatives were going to attend a funeral. "We were a big, happy family together. It's all over now," he said. Last night, the remaining family members were frantically trying to take the next available flight to India. "Most flights, including those arranged by Air India are full now. We are going through different flights and will somehow try to reach Mangalore," said Mr Farhan. "Some of my other family members, who were also attending the funeral, took another flight instead of Air India Express. I thank God for that now," he added. [e-mail]