Muscat:
The body of an Indian expatriate in Oman, who died two months ago following a severe chest pain, has been identified by his friend, media reported on Monday.
The repatriation of the body of Vadakkath Appu Rajendran, a native of Thrissur in the south Indian state of Kerala, who died in Oman's Sohar port city Feb 26 this year, was delayed due to absence of identification documents, the Muscat Daily reported on Monday.
Mr Rajendran's friend Chavakkad Kunhan Suresh, also from Kerala, identified the body and submitted an undertaking in this regard to the Indian embassy.
Consequently, the body's repatriation is being initiated.
Mr Rajendran's body was kept in the Sohar Hospital mortuary since he died.
"Rajendran had been working in Oman without valid documents for the past 20 years," the news report quoted Yousif Salim, a Sohar-based social worker, as saying.
"His condition worsened in the ambulance. He was taken to Sohar Hospital where doctors declared him brought dead," said Salim.
A room mate informed Mr Rajendran's wife about his death only April 20, who then got in touch with social workers in Sohar.
"We managed to get a nativity certificate from the Kerala government and have submitted it to the Indian embassy. We are trying to get the required permission from the Indian embassy to repatriate the body. We are hopeful that the formalities will be completed soon," Salim said.