London: The Indian Community Centre in Belfast has condoled the death of two Kerala-origin engineering professionals who died in a road accident in Northern Ireland on Tuesday. Reports reaching here from Belfast say that Babu Joseph (36) and Matthew Varghese (44) died while returning home from office when their car collided with a bus near Ballynure.

Their bodies are being flown to Kerala for last rites. The Indian Community Centre said: "We are heartbroken at the sudden and tragic passing of Joseph Babu and Mathew Varghese. Our thoughts and prayers are with both the families and with the families of those who were injured." Joseph and Varghese migrated to Newtonabbey in Northern Ireland in 2000,and worked in a engineering factory in Larne. Their wives are nurses.

Their neighbour and friend Paul Joseph said: "This is just a terribly sad thing to have happened to two such wonderful men. Babu s wife Mercy is inconsolable, and their son is only two so he is too young to know what s going on. "The families had a good life here. Babu was a member of a choir and loved singing and playing Indian instruments. Matthew also loved music and he played the guitar in a concert at the Indian Community Centre last year." Matthew had two sons aged nine and five.

T R Puri, chairman of the Indian Community Centre, said: "I will remember these men for their helpfulness and willingness to join in with activities." The centre will hold a special session of prayers for the men this weekend. A spokeswoman for the bus company Translink said: "We would extend out sympathies to the family and friends of the two men who were in the car."

Source : PTI