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

New Delhi, Feb 22 (PTI) India today said one of itsnationals in Libya has died in a road accident and not infiring as claimed by the family of the deceased.

According to the Indian Embassy in Tripoli, during thenight of 19th February, a group comprising three Indians andtwo Egyptians were trying to cross over to Egypt by car fromTobruk (a city in northeastern Libya) and their car met with ahead on collision resulting in all three Indians receivingserious injuries, the official spokesman in the Ministry ofExternal Affairs said here.

"They were admitted to Al Vatnam Medical Centre inTobruk. A number of Indian nurses are now also working at theCentre. Murugaiah reportedly succumbed to his injuriesyesterday. The other Indian nationals are still in thehospital and recuperating. The Mission is in regular touchwith the Medical Centre," he said.

"As such, the story of Murugaiah''s death being theresult of firing appears to be incorrect," he said.

Claiming that her husband, Murugaiah, a contract workeremployed with a Korean company, has been killed and anotherseriously injured in gunfire, Vellathai, along with localpanchayat chief, presented a petition to Tirunelvelli DistrictCollector in Tamil Nadu seeking steps by government to locateand retrieve her husband''s body and arrange for bringing itback to their village.

Indian Ambassador to Libya, M Manimekalai said theEmbassy has informed the MEA about the "background" of thecase that it was not a bomb blast but he was killed in anaccident.

Meanwhile, the sources said about 200 Indian nurses areworking at the Bengagi Medical Centre in Libya and all of themare safe and performing their normal duties.

"The Embassy is in touch with them," the sources said.

According to reports, nearly 200 people have been killedso far in the brutal crackdown against protesters demandingan end to Muammar Gadhafi''s 41-year rule in Libya.