Tiruchi airport witness to frequent arrival of bodies

On an average, 20 to 30 bodies arrive every month

September 29, 2014 10:45 am | Updated 10:45 am IST - TIRUCHI:

Embalmed in a wooden coffin, a body of a migrant labourer arrived at the international airport here a couple of days ago. Hailing from Darapuram in Tirupur district, the labourer in his mid-thirties worked in Saudi Arabia where he was alleged to have committed suicide.

The body was handed over to the receiver after thoroughly verifying documents to ascertain the genuineness and sent by an ambulance to the native place of the deceased.

Days earlier, bodies two other labourers arrived at the airport - this time too from Saudi Arabia. One of them was a 27-year-old migrant worker from Sivaganga district who went to the Arab state for job.

The three are the latest in the long list of similar phenomenon at the international airport here which has been witness to frequent arrivals of bodies of migrant workers who had gone in search of greener pastures in various overseas destinations.

On an average, 20 to 30 bodies arrive at the Tiruchi airport every month with most of them coming from the oil-rich Gulf countries, say airport sources. There have been cases of bodies of migrant labourers having arrived from South East Asian countries.

Countries in the Middle East and South-East Asia have significant number of migrant semi-skilled and skilled workers hailing from central and southern regions, engaged in a slew of occupations abroad.

The Tiruchi airport from where flights to Colombo, Dubai, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore are operated every day happens to be the gateway for the blue-collared workers of central and south regions employed in Gulf nations and South-East Asian countries.

Majority of the bodies that arrive at Tiruchi airport are that of male hailing from central and southern regions, say the sources. The bodies were mainly sent through the Sri Lankan Airlines and the Air India.

The clearance procedures at the airport in respect of the mortal remains are swift by the customs, airport health office and air cargo authorities.

The documents brought by the receiver are thoroughly verified before handing over the body to them, say the sources.

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