Muscat: 9-year-old Melissa Goveas Dies in Tragic Road Accident
by Clarence Pinto & Dilip Correa - Muscat
Daijiworld Media Network
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Family and friends can call at Holy Spirit Church Hall, Ghala on Tuesday, 16th October 2007 from 2.00 pm to 3.15 pm for prayers and to pay last respect.
Funeral mass will be held at Holy Spirit Church, Ghala at 3.30 pm and thereafter interment at PDO Cemetery, Qurum.
Contact : Nirmala Goveas – 00968 99 63 9800
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Muscat, Oct 14: It was a sad and sudden demise of young, talented Mangalorean child filled the hearts and minds of several Mangaloreans in Muscat with deep sorrow. Melissa Goveas, 9-year-old daughter of well known Konkani activist, writer and singer Nirmala Goveas (Bendur Parish) and Michael Goveas (of St. Raphael Church, Badyar, Belthangady) died in a car crash near Izki near Nizwa, Sultanate of Oman.
It was Eid holidays and Goveas family along with their close relatives and friends planned an outing to Jabal Al Akhdar, a well known tourist destination in Oman. There were three cars and Mellissa was traveling along with Lancy Goveas, Walter Goveas, Santosh (Nirmala’s Brother) and Prasad.
Just three kilometers before Izki, on the way to Jabal Al Akhdar, the four wheel drive they were traveling, the rear tyre got burst and vehicle rolled into the rocky area on October 14, at 8.00 am. Melissa and Santosh were thrown out of the vehicle and had severe injuries. Both were taken to Izki hospital and there after were transferred to Nizwa Hospital. Around 5.30 pm Melissa was declared dead by the doctors. Santosh is recovering in the Nizwa Hospital and is now declared out of danger.
Melissa Goveas, as published earlier in the several reports in www.daijiworld.com was child prodigy of the community. She had shown tremendous ability in dancing, singing and drawing. She had also a good flair in acting. She served as an Altar server for several years at Ghala Church in the Sultanate of Oman. She had always keenly participated in all MCCP events and competitions. She was one of the most liked child of the Mangalorean community in Oman. As Stanely T.H. Fernandes, the current President of MCCP puts in his own words – “it is indeed a great shock for our community to lose such a talented and well behaved child. She had always a smiling face and had always shown an extra ordinary courage and ability in exhibiting her talents...”
Melissa was a student of 5th Standard of Indian School Ghala, Sultanate of Oman. The funeral details will be published on this portal as soon as they are available.