Kuwait fire: Mother of victim from Pathanamthitta in Kerala still in a state of shock

Tragic story of Kerala native Akash Sasidharan Nair, a storekeeper in Kuwait, and his mother's heartbreaking discovery of her son’s fate in the Kuwait fire

Akash Sasidharan Nair, 31, used to call his mother Shobhana Kumari back at their home at Panthalam, Pathanamthitta, Kerala, from his workplace in Kuwait every single day.

But on June 13 (Thursday), her mobile phone remained silent. She had no inkling that her son had also fallen silent forever.

Instead, Akash’s neighbour and relative Vinu, who also works in Kuwait and was staying in a building opposite the ill-fated building where fire ripped through, informed another relative about the tragedy.

Shobhana Kumari, a diabetic, who works in a local medical store had by this time came to know about the inferno and was already concerned about the fate of her son. She was sent back home.

By then, a few relatives had reached the home and disconnected the cable television network lest the news reaches her. Akash’s sister Shary also came home from husband’s house at Karaykkad in the neighbourhood.

Till then, she was told that Akash has just sustained a knock to his leg and nothing more. But they failed to keep an eye on her and when others were preoccupied, Shobana plugged in the television around 6 p.m. and there was her son’s picture flashing among the list of victims.

Shobhana collapsed and has not recovered yet. She is still on drips at her house, said Panthalam ward 1 member Soumya Santhosh.