‘We were told 2 days’: Family awaits body of Indian killed in Saudi airport attack

The family of the Indian killed in Wednesday's drone attack by Houthis on King Fahd International Airport in Saudi Arabia feared they may have to wait several days before his body can be brought home as the strike has disrupted airport operations in the region.

Kamlesh Pandey, 36, who was among the two people killed in the attack, had been working as an airport pushback operator at the Dammam airport for the past five years and hailed from Uttar Pradesh's Gorakhpur. The Houthis had launched attacks on Saudi Arabia’s Defence Ministry in Riyadh, Saudi Aramco facilities in Yanbu and the King Fahd International Airport.

Pandey’s family is now grappling with the loss while facing uncertainty over receiving his body, amid flight disruptions caused by attacks on airport infrastructure. “The Indian Embassy in Riyadh told us we would receive the body in two days, but now they are saying it is taking time.

We have learnt of the flight disruptions, and we fear it will take even longer. We request the government to make arrangements to bring the body home at the earliest,” said his younger brother, Mukesh Pandey, who works as a delivery boy in Gorakhpur.

“Pandey was the pillar of our home. Though he lived thousands of kilometres from Gorakhpur, we never made a move without his knowledge. On Wednesday evening, just hours before his death, I spoke to him and asked about the cultivation of our field.

We spoke almost twice a day and turned to him for advice on every major decision,” said Mukesh. Before going to Saudi Arabia, Pandey had worked at the airport in Bengaluru. "He left for a better opportunity and salary. He was on duty at the airport on Wednesday evening when the attack took place,” said Mukesh.

Pandey was engaged in operating a specialised tractor, known as a tug, used to manoeuvre aircraft safely backwards from terminal gates before departure, said the family. The Indian Embassy in Riyadh informed the family of the death on Thursday.

Pandey was the second of four children born to Harish Chandra Pandey, a farmer. An intermediate pass-out, Kamlesh Pandey had returned to India in December last year to attend a wedding. He returned in March this year to sort out a passport matter.

Pandey is survived by wife, Suneeta, and two daughters, Tanvi and Tanya. However, the local police at Bansgaon said they have come to know about the tragedy from the residents and are yet to get official confirmation about Pandey's death.

Anuj Kumar Singh, Circle Officer, Gorakhpur, said they are verifying the information with authorities.