Archive · 5 Aug 2026
Kerala Expat Killed in Gas Cylinder Blast at Dubai Showroom
A young man from India named Shijin Paul was working at a car showroom in Dubai.
On Monday, a gas cylinder exploded there, and sadly, he did not survive.
The explosion also hurt five other people.
A gas cylinder is a big metal tank that holds gas under strong pressure.
People at the showroom noticed a fire and tried to put it out with fire extinguishers before the cylinder blew up.
Shijin was 27 years old and came from a place called Kollam in Kerala, India.
His job at the showroom was as a social media manager, which means he helped share the company's posts online.
The Indian Consulate in Dubai is helping send his body back to his family in India.
This sad accident is part of a bigger worry that many Indian workers have been hurt or killed while working in Gulf countries.
The Indian government says more than 800 Indian workers died in workplace accidents abroad between 2023 and 2025.
Shijin Paul, 27, from Kerala's Kollam district, was killed in a gas cylinder explosion at a car showroom on Sheikh Zayed Road in Dubai.
The Dubai Media Office said the blast killed one person and injured five others.
Paul worked as the social media manager at the showroom, where a colleague said staff tried to douse flames before the cylinder exploded.
India's Ministry of External Affairs data shows more than 800 Indian nationals died in workplace accidents abroad between 2023 and 2025, about 55% of them in Gulf countries.
The Indian Consulate in Dubai confirmed Paul's death on Tuesday and is working with his family and local authorities to repatriate his mortal remains.
- Who
- Shijin Paul, a 27-year-old Indian expatriate from Kerala's Kollam district who worked as the social media manager at the car showroom.
- What
- A gas cylinder explosion killed Paul and injured five other people at a car showroom.
- When
- On a Monday; the Indian Consulate in Dubai confirmed his death the following Tuesday. The exact calendar date was not stated in the article.
- Where
- A car showroom on Sheikh Zayed Road in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
- Why
- A fire broke out at the showroom and a gas cylinder exploded while employees tried to extinguish the flames; the underlying cause of the fire was not stated in the article.
- Victim
- Shijin Paul, 27
- Home district
- Kollam, Kerala, India
- Job
- Social media manager at the car showroom
- Incident location
- Car showroom, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai
- Casualties
- 1 dead, 5 injured
- Official confirmation
- Dubai Media Office and Indian Consulate in Dubai
- Indian worker deaths abroad (2023-2025)
- More than 800; about 55% in Gulf countries; Saudi Arabia 182, UAE 128