Dubai school girl death: 'All so sudden'

The tragic end of a young Dubai school girl on Monday has left the community devastated.

The principal of her school in Silicon Oasis expressed condolence through a letter on Tuesday.

“I am writing to you in connection with the tragic news that one of our FS2 student unfortunately became ill last weekend and has sadly died,” he wrote.

“Our heartfelt condolences go to (the student’s) family and I hope that you join me in extending your sympathy to the entire family at what must be such a difficult time.”

Close friends of the family expressed shock and sadness at the loss.

“It is devastating. I wouldn’t have been able to talk about it (the loss), if you had called earlier. I can’t even begin to imagine what the family must be going through,” said a friend of the family, on condition of anonymity.

The little girl would’ve turned big sister, as her mother is due for delivery on November 20. “It’s such a big tragedy. The mother is holding up, while the father looks devastated.”

The father, a banker, who hails from Kerala has been living in the UAE for many years now, and resides in Mirdif.

Recounting what happened, the friend says, “The little girl developed high fever and vomiting on Sunday early morning, and the family rushed her to the pediatrician. They suspected just a normal viral flu and prescribed her suppository.

“By noon, the temperature came down, but it spiked in the evening, with the child complaining of body aches. Rashes started breaking out on her body, when a doctor in the family suggested they take her to a specialist.

“Around 10pm, they took her to a medical facility in Jumeriah, but by then the child’s BP had already dropped, and they couldn’t get a vein. It was around 2am that she passed away.”

The child was buried at 5pm on Wednesday in Dubai.

The Dubai Health Authority had on Wednesday ruled out meningitis as the cause of death. Investigation is currently being undertaken to determine what went wrong.

Read: DHA rules out meningitis, death of school student still under probe

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