Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Sunday, Jun 01, 2025

Dubai-Kerala Air India Express crash survivor begins new life after wedding

Dubai-Kerala Air India Express crash survivor begins new life after wedding

Indian expat Parameswaran Azhakath and family survived with injuries that needed surgery

More than a month after the Dubai-Kozhikode Air India Express flight crash on August 7, one of the survivors has begun a new life after his wedding — for which he was travelling to India on that ill-fated flight.

It was a rebirth of sorts for Indian expat Parameswaran Azhakath, his elder brother Ravisankar Azhakath, sister-in-law Tara Sankar and four-year-old niece Ayana Ravisankar when they survived the crash with injuries that required surgeries.

Parameswaran, 28, who underwent treatment for spinal cord injuries, recovered and tied the knot with his fiancée Sisira Vasudevan on September 10, the family said.

The wedding ceremony was held at the groom’s house in the Pattambi area of Palakkad district. It was originally scheduled to be held at the bride’s home in Ollukkara area of Thrissur district in keeping with traditional practice, Ravisankar told Gulf News over the phone from Kerala. He said the family members of Sisira, the bride, travelled to the groom’s house for the wedding.

The wedding was supposed to be held in May as per the families’ original plan. “Both the families decided not to postpone the marriage again,” Ravisankar said.

“Both Tara and I still cannot walk due to the fractures on our legs. We got discharged two weeks ago. But we need the help of a wheel chair to move around. It will take four more weeks before we start using walkers,” he said.


Parmeswaran with his wife Sisira.


Ayana’s leg is still plastered. “The fracture has almost healed, but the doctors have advised to keep it on for four more weeks.”

COVID-19 safety measures


Parameswaran, a planning engineer with a major Indian construction group, had flown home well ahead of time for the wedding rescheduled for September 10 in order to leave him with enough buffer time for quarantine upon arrival in Kerala.

Ravisankar said the families restricted the total number of attendees at the wedding to 50 and followed COVID-19 safety protocols.

“Everything went well. The wedding was held as per Brahmin traditions. We removed the masks only for the photographs,” Ravishankar said. “Our parents were relieved when we all got discharged from hospital. Now they are happy as the wedding also took place as planned.”

The newly-wed couple has also been counting their blessings.

Parameswaran said he considered himself extremely lucky and blessed.

Though crash memories continue to haunt him, he said he had physically recovered well. “I just have a mild pain while I sit and get up. Otherwise I am okay.”

Another groom was not so lucky


While Parameswaran had a lucky escape along with his brother’s family, another would-be groom on the same ill-fated flight perished in the crash.


Muhamed Riyas, who died in the crash, was travelling to Kerala for his wedding.


Muhammed Riyas V.P, 24, who was flying home for his marriage planned a year ago, died in the crash.

Riyas was supposed to marry his fiancée, with whom he had fallen in love during their college days a couple of years ago. His wedding was supposed to take place some months ago, but it had to be postponed due to the travel restrictions over the COVID-19 pandemic, his uncle Ashraf Ali had told Gulf News earlier.

Riyas, who worked with a pharmacy group in Dubai, had travelled with his brother Nizamudheen V.P, 28, who works in Al Ain. Nizamudheen escaped with injuries.

A total of 21 people, including the pilot and co-pilot, were killed in the crash.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
European and Arab Ministers Convene in Madrid to Address Gaza Conflict
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
UAE Offers Free ChatGPT Plus Subscriptions to Citizens
Lebanon Initiates Plan to Disarm Palestinian Factions
Iran and U.S. Make Limited Progress in Nuclear Talks
The Daily Debate: The Fall of the Dollar — Strategic Reset or Economic Self-Destruction?
Trump Administration's Tariff Policies and Dollar Strategy Spark Global Economic Debate
OpenAI Acquires Jony Ive’s Startup for $6.5 Billion to Build a Revolutionary “Third Core Device”
Turkey Weighs Citizens in Public as Erdoğan Launches National Slimming Campaign
Saudi-Spanish Business Forum Commences in Riyadh
Saudi Arabia and Spain Sign MoU to Boost SME Sectors
UK Suspends Trade Talks with Israel Amid Gaza Offensive
Iran and U.S. Set for Fifth Round of Nuclear Talks Amid Rising Tensions
Russia Expands Military Presence Near Finland Amid Rising Tensions
Indian Scholar Arrested in Crackdown Over Pakistan Conflict Commentary
Israel Eases Gaza Blockade Amid Internal Dispute Over Military Strategy
President Biden’s announcement of advanced prostate cancer sparked public sympathy—but behind closed doors, Democrats are in panic
A Chinese company made solar tiles that look way nicer than regular panels!
Indian jet shootdown: the all-robot legion behind China’s PL-15E missiles
The Chinese Dragon: The True Winner in the India-Pakistan Clash
Australia's Venomous Creatures Contribute to Life-Saving Antivenom Programme
The Spanish Were Right: Long Working Hours Harm Brain Function
Did Former FBI Director Call for Violence Against Trump? Instagram Post Sparks Uproar
US and UAE Partner to Develop Massive AI Data Center Complex
Apple's $95 Million Siri Settlement: Eligible Users Have Until July 2 to File Claims
US and UAE Reach Preliminary Agreement on Nvidia AI Chip Imports
President Trump and Elon Musk Welcomed by Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim with Cybertruck Convoy
Strong Warning Issued: Do Not Use General Chatbots for Medical, Legal, or Educational Guidance
Saudi Arabia Emerges as Global Tech Magnet with U.S. Backing and Trump’s Visit
This was President's departure from Saudi Arabia. The Crown Prince personally escorted him back to the airport.
NVIDIA and Saudi Arabia Launch Strategic Partnership to Establish AI Centers
Trump Meets Syrian President Ahmad al-Shara in Historic Encounter
Trump takes a blow torch to the neocons and interventionists while speaking to the Saudis
US and Saudi Arabia Sign Landmark Agreements Across Multiple Sectors
Why Saudi Arabia Rolled Out a Purple Carpet for Donald Trump Instead of Red
Elon Musk Joins Trump Meeting in Saudi Arabia
Trump says it would be 'stupid' not to accept gift of Qatari plane
Quantum Computing Threatens Bitcoin Security
Michael Jordan to Serve as Analyst for NBA Games
×