Indian pilgrim returning after Umrah suffers mid-air heart attack

Muscat: An Indian national returning to Mumbai after completing Umrah died following a heart-attack on board a Saudi Arabian Airlines (Saudia) flight causing it to make an emergency landing in Muscat.
Ibrahim Abdul Rehman Virani, born on August 7, 1944, was travelling back to India with his wife after the two of them had completed their Umrah. They had left for Saudi Arabia on 11 April, and were due to land in Mumbai on April 26 at 7:30pm local time.
Unfortunately, Ibrahim suffered a cardiac arrest on board the Jeddah-Mumbai Saudia flight, causing the pilots to re-route to Muscat, where paramedics gave him the required medical care, but were unable to save him.
“They were on the way from Jeddah to Mumbai, in the aircraft, and suddenly, he suffered a heart attack,” said their son Rafique Virani.
“They were returning after doing their holy prayers in Saudi Arabia. They were going back to Mumbai, and he suffered a severe heart attack on the flight. I still don’t know exactly what happened as I am in Mumbai. Honestly, I didn’t expect this. I prayed that they would come quickly to India.
“On April 11, they had taken a Saudi Arabian airlines flight from Mumbai to Mecca, at 9:30pm,” he said.
Reached out
Friends of Ibrahim’s son, Rafique Virani, reached out to Sushma Swaraj, India’s External Affairs Minister, on social media, as well as the Indian Embassy in Oman, who were quick to act.
“Please share more details - name, passport number, flight number, any contact number in Oman and in India,” officials from the Indian Embassy in Oman responded, on April 27.
A day later, the embassy had already completed the formalities to repatriate Ibrahim’s body to India.
“The embassy has already issued a No Objection Certificate,” they said on April 28.
“The family is making arrangements for transporting the mortal remains to India. They can seek further assistance from Embassy, if required.”
Support
“God be praised, we are really appreciative of Mrs Sushma Swaraj, who has really supported us,” said Rafique. “We are really, really thankful to her. The Indian Embassy was really cooperative. Thanks to god, my friends and relatives are here, and they have been very supportive during this time.
A relative of the family was assisting them in Oman, and waiting for the formalities to be completed.