Final-year architecture student struck by oncoming vehicle while calling roadside assistance in Al Rashidiya
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — A 21-year-old Indian student from Kerala died in a road accident in Dubai after being struck by an oncoming vehicle while attempting to arrange roadside assistance for a flat tyre.
The victim has been identified as Naifa Balkees, a native of Thodupuzha in Kerala’s Idukki district and a final-year architecture student at Canadian University Dubai.
The incident occurred around 3:00 PM in the Al Rashidiya area. Balkees was driving when one of the tyres on her car suffered a puncture. She pulled over to the roadside and phoned her parents, who were visiting Kerala at the time, to inform them of the breakdown. Her father, Dubai-based businessman Binu Hameed, advised her to contact a breakdown recovery service via their toll-free number for immediate support.
Balkees stepped out of the vehicle to place the call and was struck by a passing vehicle. Moments later, her father attempted to reach her back to confirm her situation, but the phone went unanswered. Shortly afterwards, Dubai Police contacted the family to notify them of the fatal accident.
Her parents, Binu Hameed and Seena, along with family members including her brother Nihal Hameed, reached Dubai on morning flights following the notification. The body remains at the Dubai Police Forensic Department while legal procedures are underway to repatriate her remains to India.
