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

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.