A family vacation turned to tragedy when a father and daughter were swept away by waves at a beach in Sharjah on Wednesday.
The Indian family was on a holiday in the Emirates when Ismayil Thazhe Chandamkandiyil, 47, and his daughter, Amal Ismayil, 18, drowned off Al Heera Beach near the Sharjah-Ajman border.
The father, from the Indian state of Kerala, jumped into the water to save his three children and two of his brother’s as they struggled to swim in the choppy waters.
Mr Chandamkandiyil saved four children but drowned with his older daughter.
The family went to the beach to enjoy a swim. The children were playing in the water when the incident happened at 4.30pm on Wednesday. Police were alerted immediately and a rescue team was dispatched.
Within 30 minutes their bodies resurfaced in the same area. A police officer said the team tried to revive the father and the daughter but they were dead.
Mr Chandamkandiyil was an employee of the Roads and Transport Authority in Dubai. His family was on a holiday in the Emirate.
Their bodies were moved to the Kuwaiti Hospital morgue in Sharjah.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
PROFILE OF HALAN
Started: November 2017
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Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport and logistics
Size: 150 employees
Investment: approximately $8 million
Investors include: Singapore’s Battery Road Digital Holdings, Egypt’s Algebra Ventures, Uber co-founder and former CTO Oscar Salazar
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
MATCH INFO
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Everton: Walcott (15'), Richarlison (31' )
Southampton: Ings (54')
Man of the match: Theo Walcott (Everton)
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?
The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.
A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.
Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed.
The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live.
When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to hotels or large sites like former military bases.
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
