Youngest of 13 siblings recalls multiple family tragedies following the burial of his third brother.
Abu Dhabi: Indian expat Jafar Kunhammu, 43, based in Dubai, has spent much of his life coping with repeated family losses. The youngest of 13 siblings travelled to Kerala on Thursday for the funeral of his brother, Yousafe Kunhammu, 51, who died after falling ill on board an Abu Dhabi–Bangalore flight. It marked the third time he has lost a brother to a heart attack.
Speaking from Kerala, Jafar, a family driver, said Yousafe’s death was the latest in a series of tragedies to strike the family.
“We are thirteen siblings — seven brothers and six sisters — and I am the youngest. Yousafe is the third brother we have lost to a heart attack,” he said.
“Our two eldest brothers also died of heart attacks in their early 50s. Doctors have warned all of us to be careful,” Jafar added.
He travelled with Yousafe’s body to Kasaragod district, alongside another brother, Abdurahman, who is also a Dubai resident.
Pattern of loss
The family’s history of heart disease spans generations. Jafar recalled that the two eldest brothers, both former expats in Sharjah, died of heart attacks while on vacation in Kerala. The eldest passed away around 18 years ago, followed by the second brother 13 years ago.
The pattern of illness may extend further back. Jafar said their father also reportedly died of a heart attack at the age of 56.
It was a loss that came just six months after Jafar was born. The family also lost their mother around 30 years ago, when he was just 13.
For Jafar, the youngest sibling, each bereavement has marked another chapter in a long and painful journey of grief.
Warning signs
Jafar said Yousafe had already been on medication for heart disease and hypertension.
A day before boarding the flight, Yousafe experienced breathing difficulties while walking and decided to return home to consult a doctor. He had been in the UAE on a visit visa.
As first reported by on June 22, Yousafe began experiencing breathing difficulties shortly before the Abu Dhabi–Bangalore flight was scheduled to take off.
Cabin crew responded immediately, paramedics were called, and he was rushed to hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival.
Seven children, youngest four months old
Jafar also clarified that Yousafe leaves behind his wife and seven children, not five as previously reported by members of the Abu Dhabi community.
Of the four daughters and three sons, the eldest daughter, aged 20, is already married. The youngest is a four-month-old infant daughter.
“The younger children were waiting for his gifts from the UAE,” Jafar said.
Yousafe had previously run a shop in Mumbai before closing the business. He had visited the UAE on several occasions, often exploring opportunities in employment and business.
Journey home
Legal procedures for repatriating his mortal remains were completed with the assistance of community volunteers, who supported the family with paperwork and logistics.
Anees Perinchery, a community volunteer with the Indian Islamic Centre in Abu Dhabi, said the Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi covered the cost of repatriating the mortal remains.
Jafar, Abdurahman, along with several relatives, friends, and members of their native community, attended the funeral prayer held at the mosque in the Abu Dhabi Central Morgue.
Ashraf P.K., secretary of the Kasaragod wing of KMCC Abu Dhabi, who also hails from the same village, said Yousafe was well known and respected in his hometown.
“He was soft-spoken and a pious believer who faithfully observed the five daily prayers,” Ashraf said.
Yousafe’s body was flown to Mangalore International Airport in Karnataka and then transported by road to his native village in Kasaragod.
The local MLA coordinated with Kerala’s Norka Department, which arranged an ambulance to transport the body from the airport to the family home.
Hundreds of people attended the funeral, where Yousafe was remembered as a soft-spoken and deeply devout man.
“It will take a long time for the family to come to terms with his loss,” Jafar said.
