From Sujay Bendore, Daijiworld News Network, UAE

Sharjah, June 8: Death comes like a stranger, it is often said. But the late Wednesday-night at the Creek-side in Sharjah (Abra) is indeed a bolt from the blue for the residents of Sharjah. It was a freak kind of death fro two persons.

M K Madhavan, 55-year-old entrepreneur, a well-known Keralite social worker and community leader, was on a casual drive to Sharjah's popular spot creek-side on June 7, 2006 around 9.30 pm. He was in his Mercedes sitting next to the man behind the wheel, said to be a relative of his aged around 50, whose name daijiworld could not get ascertain immediately, with another three friends on the rear seat. As said already, it was a casual, but a fatal drive at the creek-side.

But man who was driving appeared to committed a grave error. Somewhere, he, instead of applying the brakes, probably pressed the accelerator and that shot the car into straight into the water. The unbelievable tragedy struck the two men in the front seat, who died on the spot, while the other three in the rear seat were rescued by the guards.

Madhavan was not only popular among the Keralites but he had highest regards for Kannadigas. He attended last week's function arranged by Karnataka Sangha to present the Mayura award.

"I cannot believe this news. it's a huge loss for the entire Indian community," said Sharjah Karnataka Sangha president Ganesh Rai, while speaking to Daijiworld.com.

As the news spread, community members started gathering outside the Kuwaiti hospital where the mortal remains of Madavan and his relative were kept.

Gulf News Daily Adds:

Madhavan was on his way back home from the Indian Association Sharjah office in Al Yarmook with four other Indian friends at around 9.30 last night when tragedy struck.

The car they were travelling in took a U-turn near the Corniche in Al Bahar area, close to Port Khalid, and plunged into the sea, Sharjah Police said.

A Coast Guard patrol immediately alerted Sharjah Police, who rushed to the scene along with Anjad patrols and an ambulance crew. Officers from the nearby Al Hira police station also arrived at the accident site swiftly, blocking traffic access to the area.

Three of Madhavan's friends, who were travelling in the back seat, were pulled out from the waters safely. But the Indian Association chief and the car's driver died on the spot. Their bodies were taken to Kuwaiti Hospital, Sharjah, where a large crowd of fellow community members gathered later in the night as the news broke out.

Initial investigations revealed that the five were returning from the association when they decided to stop by the Corniche. The driver apparently failed to control the car on reaching an open area by the sea.

Colonel Abdullah Mubarak Al Dakhan, Director of Operations in Sharjah Police, told Gulf News that the bodies were recovered after a three-hour operation supervised by him, Lieutenant Colonel Khalifa Al Suwaidi and other officers. Investigations are underway to determine the causes of the accident.