ALKHOBAR, 31 May 2004 — As the Oasis Compound siege came to an end and the task of sifting through the lives wrecked by the attack began, it emerged that Indian expatriates made up greatest number of casualties in the carnage.
The Saudi authorities confirmed that among the 22 people who died in the series of attacks on housing compounds as well as office premises since 7.30 on Saturday, eight were Indians.
The first was Lawrence Gregory of Karnataka in southern India, who died when a stray bullet hit him in the neck while he was driving to his office and became caught in crossfire between the terrorists and security forces.
The other seven Indians died in or around the Oasis Compound.
The Indian Embassy confirmed that four of them worked in maintenance for the Saad Group of Companies, which owns the Oasis Compound.
The Indian casualties are: Lawrence Gregory from Karnataka; K.K. Pradeep Kumar and Jain Jose from Kerala; Clephen Carlos, Andhra Pradesh; Joe Fernandez, Goa; Suresh Kumar and Tola Ram, both from Rajasthan; and Vikram from Bihar.
A Bangladeshi who was held hostage in the restaurant of the Oasis Compound and later released by the terrorists told Arab News on condition of anonymity that K.K. Pradeep Kumar was shot by one of the terrorists at point-blank range. “He died instantly,” he said.
The Indian community in the Eastern Province was in a state of shock. An Indian Embassy official said a team led by an attache is already in the Eastern Province and is in touch with the hospitals and Saudi authorities there.
Indians reserved particular anger for the terrorists’ bid to give a religious tilt to their barbaric act.
“What these terrorists fail to understand is that they are doing more harm to the cause of Muslims,” said Irfan Ali of Hyderabad.
Maan Al-Sanea, the owner of the ill-fated Oasis Compound, has expressed his deep grief over the killing of his employees and promised to compensate their families.
