RIYADH, 15 September 2006 — At least 244 Indian expatriates died due to unnatural causes between Jan. 1 and Aug. 31 this year, according to data released by the community welfare wing of the Indian Embassy here.
This was in addition to 303 deaths resulting from natural causes, bringing the total number of deaths in the Indian community to 547, according to K. Muraleedharan, second secretary at the embassy.
The leading causes of unnatural death are car accidents and suicides. Heart attacks are the leading cause of natural deaths.
Embassy officials said the cases of suicide among the Indian expatriates indicated that they took such extreme steps as a last resort to highlight their problems relating to non-payment of salaries, harassment by employers, or family problems at home.
A breakdown of figures for the unnatural causes of death shows that traffic accidents claimed 135 lives, followed by suicide (32 cases), industrial accidents (26), murder (8) and undisclosed unnatural causes (43).
This report marks the second time in a row that heart attacks have been the leading cause of natural death in the Indian community, reflecting an unhealthy lifestyle and poor eating habits.
Figures were not available for the corresponding period last year, which claimed 812 deaths overall. Of these, 484 cases resulted from natural causes. As for the unnatural deaths, traffic accidents resulted in 212 casualties, while suicide, industrial accidents and others were responsible for 50, 31 and 23 casualties, in that order.
There are 3.5 million Indian expatriates in the Gulf, 1.5 million of them in the Kingdom.
When an expatriate dies in the Kingdom, the next of kin must send a letter stating that he or she has no objection for the burial or transportation of mortal remains and authorizing either the sponsor, close relative, friend, or any other person known to them, to take charge of the body for local burial or transportation to India. The hospital will provide medical report or Death Intimation Report based on which the Police Department will issue its report.
The embassy has established a 24-hour helpline in Riyadh for Indian residents needing assistance.
