'My Husband Died In Missile Strike': UP Man's Wife Inconsolable After His Body Arrive From Riyadh

The mortal remains of Ravi Gopal, an Indian national from Uttar Pradesh killed in a suspected missile attack in Riyadh, were returned to his family in Sitapur, with assistance from the Ministry of External Affairs on Wednesday. A 26-year-old man had been working as a driver in a plastic factory in the Saudi capital since last year. Ravi's wife, Ritu, recalled speaking to him on the night of March 18, 2026, around 9:30 PM. While they were talking, a loud explosion occurred in the background. The call abruptly disconnected, and Ravi's phone became unreachable. "The call got disconnected after about 20 minutes, and when we tried calling back, we found the phone switched off. We also tried contacting his friends there, but could not reach anyone," she added. Ravi was the sole breadwinner of his family, now survived by his wife and a four-year-old son. According to the family, following a missile strike near his factory, Ravi was recovered from the rubble and transported to a hospital, where he was tragically pronounced dead. A friend, Ram Niwas, who also works in Saudi Arabia, confirmed Ravi's death in a missile strike near the factory the next day. The embassy officials and the local administration contacted the family to inform them that the arrangements for returning the body from Riyadh to Lucknow would arrive on Wednesday morning.