Shifa Al Jazeera Medical Group has recently extended financial assistance worth 6,050,000 Indian rupees ($90,745) to the families of those killed in a massive temple fire in Kollam in the southern Indian state of Kerala. Group Chairman Dr. K.T. Rabeeullah offered Rs50,000 ($751) each to the bereaved family members of the dead. More than 100 people were killed and hundreds of others injured in the blaze sparked by fireworks at a Hindu temple of Puttingal in Paravur municipality, located around 70 km from the state capital Thiruvananthapuram. The fire took place at around 3.30 am on April 12 while a fireworks show was being held as part of the annual temple festival. The financial assistance was distributed at a recent function held at the government elementary school in Kottappuram. Paravur Municipal Chairma K.P. Kurup presented the money to the relatives of the victims. The assistance was presented first to the siblings -Krishna and Kishore, who lost their parents in the fatal mishap. During the function, the Group Corporate Communications Vice Chairman Satheesh read out a message from Rabeeullah, in which he also offered jobs for the qualified hands from the family members of the deceased at the Group's establishments across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states. The function was also attended by K.P. Mohammedkutty, chairman of the advisory committee of Shifa Al-Jazeera Group, Shaji Aripra, director of the group, Ashraf Vengat, CEO of Riyadh branch, and Muhammad Shakir, CEO of Oman branch. Shajahan Thiruvananthapuram, Aziz Karinjapadi, Iqbal Vengur, Mahad Kollam were among the municipal councilors, political party representatives, and family members of the victims who were also present on the occasion.
