FlyDubai crash: Couple from Kerala among 62 killed in southern Russia

According to official sources, Mohan and Anju were from Vengola village near Perumbavoor in Ernakulam district. Their relatives said Mohan and Anju were working as Ayurveda therapists at a spa in Rostov-on-Don. While Anju had been working there for the last four years, Mohan had moved to Russia last year.

The couple were returning to Russia after a two-month leave. They left Kochi on Thursday night. After reaching Dubai, Mohan called up his parents on Friday and promised to call on reaching Rostov-on-Don.

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Sources said Mohan, the son of a carpenter, was the lone breadwinner of his family. While he moved to Russia soon after he married Anju in November 2014, he got the job as an Ayurveda therapist only recently.

Emergencies Ministry members and investigators work at the crash site of the Boeing 737-800 Flight FZ981 operated by Dubai-based budget carrier Flydubai, at the airport of Rostov-On-Don, Russia, in this handout image released by the Russian Emergencies Ministry on March 19, 2016. (Source: Reuters)

Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy assured the family that every effort would be made, through the Ministry of External Affairs, to bring back the bodies.

The cause of the crash wasn’t immediately known, but officials and experts pointed at a sudden gust of wind as a possible reason.