Qatar Malayalis recount horrifying moments of Iran missile attack
KOZHIKODE: For the large Malayali population in Qatar, many of whom are blue-collar workers, nurses, teachers, and technicians, Monday night — after Iran launched missiles targeting the Al-Udeid Air Base located near Doha — was a grim reminder of their vulnerability far from home. WhatsApp groups flooded with videos of the explosions, frantic voice messages, and calls for updates. Several people were too scared to sleep.
When Habeeb K, a Kozhikode native living in Lusail, stepped out of his apartment after a thunderous blast shook his building, he wasn't prepared for what he saw: his parked car partially engulfed in flames, hit by falling missile debris.
'It felt like the world was ending,' Habeeb, still shaken, told TNIE over the phone.
'My car was burning just a few feet away from where children usually play. It could have been us.'
While Qatar's defence systems managed to shoot down the threats, fragments from the explosions rained down over residential neighbourhoods, some of them heavily populated by Malayali expats from Kerala. According to eyewitnesses, several missiles lit up the sky shortly after 11 pm, followed by thunderous explosions.
'This was a turning point,' said Faisal M, a social worker who assists new people from Kerala. 'People came here for a better life. Now they are afraid to step outside. Some are even talking about returning to Kerala for good. On Tuesday, a majority of the people took leave and decided to stay at their houses and apartments.'
Nazeera T, a nurse from Kannur, recalled: 'I was feeding my baby when I saw a flash outside the window. Then came the sound, like something had exploded just above our heads. My hands were trembling. I didn't know whether to grab my phone or run.'
Entire apartment buildings in Doha, Al Wakrah, and Lusail emptied into stairwells. Families huddled together. Videos shared in Malayali WhatsApp groups captured the raw fear on peoples faces, with some even reciting prayers aloud as they waited in corridors.
'We've survived the Gulf War, the blockade, even Covid. But this is different. This time, people truly feel unsafe, as if war has come to our doorstep,' said Faisal, a long-time Doha resident.
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