Indian died in accident and not in firing in Libya: MEA

New Delhi, Feb 22 (PTI) India on Tuesday said one of its
nationals in Libya has died in a road accident and not in
firing as claimed by the family of the deceased.
According to the Indian Embassy in Tripoli, during the
night of 19th February, a group comprising three Indians and
two Egyptians were trying to cross over to Egypt by car from
Tobruk (a city in northeastern Libya) and their car met with a
head on collision resulting in all three Indians receiving
serious injuries, the official spokesman in the Ministry of
External Affairs said here.
"They were admitted to Al Vatnam Medical Centre in
Tobruk. A number of Indian nurses are now also working at the
Centre. Murugaiah reportedly succumbed to his injuries
yesterday. The other Indian nationals are still in the
hospital and recuperating. The Mission is in regular touch
with the Medical Centre," he said.
"As such, the story of Murugaiah's death being the
result of firing appears to be incorrect," he said.
Claiming that her husband, Murugaiah, a contract worker
employed with a Korean company, has been killed and another
seriously injured in gunfire, Vellathai, along with local
panchayat chief, presented a petition to Tirunelvelli District
Collector in Tamil Nadu seeking steps by government to locate
and retrieve her husband's body and arrange for bringing it
back to their village.
Indian Ambassador to Libya, M Manimekalai said the
Embassy has informed the MEA about the "background" of the
case that it was not a bomb blast but he was killed in an
accident.
Meanwhile, the sources said about 200 Indian nurses are
working at the Bengagi Medical Centre in Libya and all of them
are safe and performing their normal duties.
"The Embassy is in touch with them," the sources said.
According to reports, nearly 200 people have been killed
so far in the brutal crackdown against protesters demanding
an end to Muammar Gadhafi's 41-year rule in Libya.