Gaza attack: Kerala woman victim’s family shocked

Soumya Santhosh, was in a video call with her husband Santhosh when the shells hit her.

The family of in Israel on Tuesday evening was in a shock as she was in a video call with her husband Santhosh when the shells hit her. Sanosh's brother Saji living at Keerithode told The Hindu that the shell fell on her while she was talking with Santhosh at 5.30 pm. She told him that intermittent mortar shells from Hamas in Gaza were pouncing the residential area and she was fearful there. She also said that she would soon move to the bunker inside the house for safety and would not know when she could speak to him again. Even as she was speaking, a mortar shell fell there and her voice was cut. What Santhosh could see was only the smoke billowing out there on the video. Soon he could not see anything on the video and it was cut. He anxiously waited for any information from there. He soon contacted his sister Sherly who was also working near Ashkelon. She enquired about it and informed him that Soumya died in the attack. Ms Soumya was working as a housemaid caring for an old woman at Ashkelon. She had come to Keerithodu one-and- a- half years back after moving there ten years back. She had plans to come to Keerithode last year. However it was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Mr Saji said that his sisters were still there and waiting for the official information on the tragedy and efforts were on to bring her body here.