'Still in disbelief': Abu Dhabi attack victim was planning to leave UAE, join wife in Canada

Hardeep Singh's cousin said family members are in a state of shock

Hardeep Singh, 29, one of the two Indian expats killed in Houthi terror attacks on Abu Dhabi last week, was planning to leave the UAE and join his newly-wed wife, his relative said.

Hardeep, Hardev Singh and a Pakistani national Mamoor Khan were the three Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc) employees killed in the explosions in three of Adnoc's petroleum tankers in the industrial area of Mussafah.

Gagandeep, Hardeep’s cousin, who lives in Abu Dhabi and travelled to his home state of Punjab with the mortal remains, said that family members, mother Charanjit and wife Kanupriya are in a state of shock.

“He was working as a driver. He was the only son. Now there is no one else in the family. His mother and wife are inconsolable. It will be hard for them to recover from this loss. We cousins are offering as much support as possible,” Gagandeep said over the phone from Mehsampur village of Jalandhar district.

“Hardeep got married in March last year. After the wedding, his wife returned to Canada where she was studying and he left for Abu Dhabi. For a while, he was planning to leave the UAE and return home, and then go to Canada and join his wife. He was working on paperwork to move to Canada. And this unfortunate incident happened. What has happened is so heart-breaking. This is a very tough time for the family,” Gagandeep said about the gruesome attack by Houthis, who used cruise missiles, ballistic missiles and drones.

Gagandeep underlined that Adnoc and the Indian Embassy have been constantly in touch with the family members.

“Adnoc and the embassy have offered full support. They have been in contact. They do make phone calls.”