Update: Body of Omani citizen who died in Jordan brought home

Muscat: A 74-year-old Omani citizen died after being run-over in an accident during a trip outside the Sultanate.

According to his son, the accident occurred on Saturday, 14 September late at night in Jordan.

The deceased, Sheikh Hamad Al Shirawi, was then taken to the nearest hospital where he passed away in the operating theatre.

The son, Ali, arrived back in Oman on Monday with his father's body and Ali took the body to Sohar directly for the funeral proceedings.

The Sultanate's Ambassador to the Kingdom of Jordan, HE Khamis Al Farsi, told the Times Of Oman: "Since the incident we have been in constant contact with the family of the deceased and the official authorities to finalise the necessary procedures to transport the body to the Omani territory.

The victim's son, Ali Al Shirawi, told the Times of Oman, "My father was 74-years-old and he had health problems so we traveled to get a medical check-up for my father and for my younger brother’s treatment."

He added: "We left Muscat on Sunday and we arrived in Amman at 7.45 pm (local time). We then stayed in hotel to rest.

"On the night of the accident, I was in the hotel lobby with my father. Someone called my father then but I don't know who it was. My father told me that he will be back soon and I went up to the room then I heard the sound of the accident."

Ali added: "Soon our relative Tariq came to my room, he was screaming and knocking on the door. Tariq said 'Ali someone ran-over your father’, then I ran quickly out of the hotel and I saw the ambulance and I got in with my father, who was seriously injured.

"We arrived at the hospital and they took him to the emergency room. Soon after, the doctor came and told us that my father died.”

“I didn't know what to do because of the shock. I told my family about the accident and we prepared to come back to Oman,” Ali added.

"The Jordanian authorities asked me about who ran over my father. I said that I had pardoned him because my father taught me to be tolerant,” he said.

On the investigations into the accident, the Omani Ambassador said, "According to investigations by the official authorities in Jordan, it was confirmed that the accident was a mistake by a Jordanian driver who was driving at high speed.

"Hamad Al Shirawi was then run-over when the driver cut-off the road."

The Ambassador also stressed that the Jordanian authorities took strict action the driver, despite the fact that the victim’s son relinquished pressing charges on the accused, but the public right still remains.

Deputy Head of the Omani Mission at the Sultanate's Embassy in Jordan, Faisal Al Hosani, said: "I call on all Omani citizens to take caution and abide by traffic laws and all other laws in Jordan and in any country they travel to. We welcome communication from any citizen, whether for inquiries or personal and public assistance.

Ali has eight brothers and five sisters, he said: "I lost my mother last month and now I lost my father, he was a perfect father, a good and affectionate man. He was my friend, a lover and a bond, we will miss him every day I ask Allah to have mercy on them."