PALAKKAD: The family members who had been preparing for the wedding of Mohammed Riyaz were in for a shock as the 24-year-old was among the casualties of the aircraft accident at the Kozhikode airport on Friday. A graphic designer in Dubai, Riyaz, of Vattaparambil House at Mollurin Mundakottukurissy near Chalavara, and his elder brother Nizamudheen were coming home for the wedding preparations, 18 days ahead of the ceremony.
“Riyaz was full of expectations. His marriage — with a collegemate — was fixed more than a year ago. He had arrived from Dubai with the ‘mahr’. The marriage was earlier fixed for July but it got postponed due to Covid-19,” said Haseem, a friend who accompanied the body from Kozhikode to Mundakottukurissy. Riyaz’s uncle Ashraf said he had left for Dubai only a year ago.
“I heard the news about the aircraft accident from TV channels. Initially, we felt relieved as early reports stated that all the passengers were safe. However, later we came to know that Riyaz was one among the deceased. His brother and a neighbour, Mohammed Musthafa escaped with injuries,” said Ashraf.