A seven-year-old boy who had been in critical condition since a weekend road crash in the UAE died on Monday evening, bringing the number of fatalities linked to the incident to five, according to people assisting the family.
Relatives and a social worker told Gulf News that Azzaam, one of the children of Indian expatriates Abdul Latheef and Rukhsana, passed away at a hospital in Abu Dhabi, where he had remained under intensive care since the early-morning accident on Sunday.
The boy’s death follows the earlier loss of his three brothers — Ashaz, 14, Ammaar, 12, and Ayyash, 5 — as well as the family’s domestic worker, Bushra, 49. Gulf News previously reported that the family’s vehicle crashed while they were returning to Dubai after attending the Liwa Festival.
With Azzaam’s passing, the couple have now lost all four of their sons. Their only surviving child, Izzaa, 10, has been declared stable by doctors and remains unaware of the deaths, a relative said, adding that she has been using her mobile phone as she continues to recover.
“Abdul Latheef and Rukhsana are also out of danger. Rukhsana underwent a surgery for her injured hand while still unaware that her three sons were gone. The family was finding it hard to break the news to her. Around 6.30pm, the hospital confirmed the passing of her only son who remained.”
Extended family members are coordinating funeral arrangements for the children in Dubai, while preparations are also underway to repatriate the mortal remains of the family’s domestic worker to Kerala.
