Efforts underway to repatriate bodies of 14 victims ibri rockslide

Ibri: Efforts are still ongoing to repatriate the bodies of 14 people who died in the rockslide on March 27, 2022 to their countries, as the company that hired them as well as the embassies of the countries to which they belong are making all possible efforts.

11 of the victims were from Pakistan and 3 people of Indian nationals. The fourteen victims were among the 55 people working in a marble quarry operated by the International Marble Company in Al-Aridh area in Ibri in the Governorate of Dhahirah.

Hussein Al-Kalbani, General Manager of the International Marble Company, said: “the organisation is taking care of all costa related to repatriation as well as the hospital charges for 5 people injured in the accident and we have also take care of all the expenses involved in transport of the bodies to their families abroad, and we plan to compensate the families of the deceased, and the company will take a decision in this regard soon.”

Muhammad Imran Ali Chaudhary, Ambassador of Pakistan to the Sultanate of Oman, said: “Out of the eleven bodies of Pakistani nationals that were recovered by the authorities, nine bodies have already been repatriated to the families of the victims. The remaining two are in the process of repatriation.”

Two officers from the Pakistani Embassy in Muscat were sent to Ibri immediately after they were informed about the incident. Another Pakistani national is injured and is currently undergoing treatment. According to the ambassador, more than 140 Pakistanis are employed in the marble quarry, some of whom are associated with the company for the last 20 years.

An official from the Embassy of India in Muscat said: “We have already provided the NOC so that the bodies of the three Indians can be repatriated,  they arrived in Muscat on Tuesday. One body has already been airlifted and procedures are underway for the other two. We have our social workers in Ibri and they were deployed to the accident site the moment we got to know about the incident. Our officials are fully cooperating with the government organisations and company representatives to provide all assistance.”