Bhadrak: The mortal remains of an Odia migrant worker who died in Bahrain arrived at Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubaneswar Friday. His body will be taken to his native village at Chandbali area in Bhadrak district for cremation today.
According to official sources, Debasish Das, a native at Chandbali area in Bhadrak district had gone to Bahrain as a migrant worker. He along with two other Indian migrant workers had died while carrying out maintenance work in a manhole in Bani Jamra, Bahrain November 16.
The health authorities in Bahrain linked the mishap to cardiopulmonary arrest due to methane gas suffocation. Preliminary investigation revealed that the workers were not provided with safety gears, resulting in their deaths.
While Debasish’s family members were under severe mental distress for performing the last rites as per tradition, Arun Kumar Praharaj — the founder of Bahrain Odia Samaj — appeared like an angel.
Praharaj took the matter up with local authorities, Indian authorities, the Indian Embassy in Bahrain and several prominent Indian politicians requesting their intervention to get the body back to Odisha and deliver justice to the bereaved family.
The long-drawn procedure eventually bore fruit and the mortal remains of Debasish were brought from Bahrain to Mumbai aboard an Air India flight November 26. A connecting flight brought the remains to Odisha from Mumbai.
PNN