Bhatkal: Prominent social worker and former councilor Irshad Ekkeri, popularly known as Data Irshad, passed away mid-flight while traveling to Dubai early Thursday morning. Inna Lillahi wa Inna Ilaihi Raji'un. He was 67 years old.
According to Fauzan Mohtisham, an active member of the Bhatkal Muslim Jamaat in Muscat, Irshad was traveling with his wife and daughter on a Mangaluru-Abu Dhabi flight when he suffered a heart attack. The flight made an emergency landing at Muscat Airport, where he was pronounced dead.
His body has been shifted to a hospital in Muscat, while his wife and daughter also disembarked there.
A resident of Kargedde, Bhatkal, Irshad was well-known in the community. His wife, Farhana Data, is a member of the Jali Pattan Panchayat and previously served as its vice president.
Upon hearing the news, his relatives, including Suhail Ekkeri, along with members of the Bhatkal Muslim Jamaat, rushed to Muscat Airport. As of now, legal formalities are underway to release the body.