Shimla: The distraught family members of Manjit Singh, who reportedly died in a bomb blast in strife- torn Yemen's port city of Aden, are still waiting for an official confirmation on his death and are in a state of shock.
Yemen conflict had yesterday claimed its first Indian causality in Singh (28). A resident of from Hamirpur's Chamboh village, Singh was working on merchant vessel Gulf Dove and is believed to be a victim of injuries sustained in a bomb blast.
His family members, however, are yet to receive any official information in this regard.
"There is no official confirmation on his death from the government. But we received information from his colleagues who called us and told about the tragedy," said Singh's brother Parveen Kumar.
Defence sources, however, had yesterday said that Indian Navy's stealth frigate INS Tarkash, which evacuated about 450 people from Aden harbour, is carrying his body to Djibouti.
The exact dates of his injury and death was not immediately known, the sources said.
Kumar, on the other hand, said he was informed that Singh was standing on the deck of the ship when he sustained shrapnel injuries.
Singh, the youngest among four siblings, is survived by his wife and two daughters, aged three and two months respectively.
His father, Parkash Chand, a retired Captain could not bear the the loss of his son and was hospitalised after he complained of restlessness.
India on Thursday wrapped up its air evacuation operations from Yemen rescuing another 630 of its citizens from Sanaa, taking the total number of Indians brought home from the war-ravaged country to over 4,640 besides around 960 nationals from 41 countries.
Yemen has been witnessing fierce battle between Saudi-led coalition and Shiite rebels, who have battled their way into various cities including Yemen in the former stronghold of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi who has fled overseas.
