Lukose, in Kuwait for 18 yrs, was to gift phone to daughter on next visit

Kollam (Kerala), June 13

Lukose had bought a mobile phone for his elder daughter, who had scored well in Class 12 board examination, and was going to bring it next month when he planned to come home to arrange her admission in a nursing course in Bengaluru.

However, what reached his family on Wednesday was unconfirmed news reports that the building in which he resided in Kuwait was the one that had caught fire.

One of his relatives told a TV channel on Thursday that friends of Lukose called and informed them about what happened. “They told us that the fire accident occurred around 4 am and at that time, Lukose had called the pastor of a church there. He spoke to the pastor briefly before the call got disconnected. On calling his phone back, it was ringing, but no one picked up,” he said. At that point, everyone thought he was alive, the relative said.

Later, friends and church members enquired at the building where Lukose was living and at nearby hospitals and found that he was among those caught in the fire, he said. “But his death was not confirmed. Then in the evening, the friends and church members went to the police to enquire and that is when his death was confirmed,” the relative said.

The relative further said that Lukose, who was in Kuwait for the past 18 years, was survived by his 93-year-old father, 88-year-old mother, his wife and two daughters. “His elder daughter scored excellent marks in Class 12. So, he bought a phone for her. He was going to bring it when he planned to come next month. He was also going to take her to Bengaluru for admission in a nursing course,” the relative added.