Cameroonian expat killed in Sheikh Zayed Road explosion had planned to marry this year.
Dubai: His sisters had already lost one brother less than two years ago. Now, they are mourning another. Nkeng Boris, the 29-year-old Cameroonian mechanic killed in the gas cylinder blast off Sheikh Zayed Road in Dubai on August 3, is being remembered by his family as a pillar of support.
Boris had become the person holding his family together following his brother’s death, relatives said.
As first reported by Gulf News, Boris was one of two people killed when a gas cylinder exploded following a fire at a car showroom on August 3.
The Consulate General of Cameroon in Dubai confirmed his identity on Thursday, several days after the blast, following the formal identification of his body. His remains had been held at the Dubai Police headquarters morgue pending identification.
Boris had been living in the UAE since 2019, where he worked as an auto mechanic—a profession he pursued with genuine passion and dedication, according to those who knew him.
Family’s second loss
Nkeng Lionel, who had earlier contacted Gulf News while trying to locate Boris after the blast and had described him as his brother, has since clarified that he is a relative, not Boris’s biological sibling.
Boris’s only biological brother died on September 27, 2024, following a short illness. He left behind a son, Lionel said.
Boris was the youngest of five children—two brothers and three sisters.
With both parents already deceased and his only biological brother gone, Boris was survived by his three sisters, who are now relying on extended family for support, according to Lionel.
He said Boris had effectively become the family’s main financial support, making his sudden death an especially devastating blow. Relatives back home are now left wondering how the family will cope without the person who had taken on that responsibility.
“The sisters are trying to hold on through the grief, but it is not easy,” Lionel wrote in an email.
Wedding plans cut short
Boris would have turned 30 on August 8, Lionel said. He was not married but was engaged to a woman living in Buea, Cameroon.
The couple had been planning to marry by the end of this year. That future they had been preparing for has now been cut short.
Those who knew Boris remember him as a loving, caring and respectful man who was hardworking, cheerful and always willing to help.
Friends and family describe him as humble, selfless and resilient, with a generous spirit that made him quick to lend a hand whenever he could. Above all, Lionel said, Boris was known for his sense of humour and his ability to make those around him laugh.
Second victim
As previously reported by Gulf News, the blast also claimed the life of Indian expat Shijin Paul, 27, from Kerala in southern India. Paul worked at the showroom as a multimedia marketing specialist.
He had married earlier last year and had joined the company only in November.
The Indian and Cameroonian consulates in Dubai have said they are providing assistance with the repatriation of the victims’ remains.
