Scot Feared Dead In Thai Raft Accident

[Jai Dee]

Scot feared dead in Thai raft accident

A SCOTS law student is feared dead after a white-water rafting accident in Thailand.

Shenaz Kapoor from Dundee, a member of one of Scotland's wealthiest families, was thrown from a dinghy during a half-hour long trip to a popular rafting spot 50 miles north of Phuket.

The accident happened on Tuesday at the Tone Pariwat national park waterfall in Pha Ngan, the Foreign Office said yesterday. Since then, locals have been assisting in the search for the 22-year-old.

Ibrahim Okhai, Shenaz's grandfather, said Ms Kapoor's brother, Amar, flew to Thailand yesterday and her mother, Mumtaz, was being comforted by relatives in Dundee.

It is understood Ms Kapoor was staying in the area as part of a gap year from studies at Dundee University. She had been working with children orphaned by the Asian tsunami.

Thai authorities have restricted the flow of a dam upstream from where Ms Kapoor went missing to aid a search of the centre of the river.

Mr Okhai said: "We will never give up hope and are praying for a miracle. Shenaz was in Thailand helping young children. She was a practising Muslim. She always put others first and helped them regardless of their religion.

"We gave her some spending money for the trip but she only used a fraction of it and gave the rest away. That's the type of person she is."

Ms Kapoor, who is vice-president of Dundee University's Islamic society, met Irish president Mary McAleese after excelling for Scotland at an international negotiating competition held in Dublin.

She was due to begin the final year of her law degree next month. Lecturers at the university yesterday described her as a popular, gifted student. "Everyone here at the university is deeply saddened by this terrible news," said Robin White, from the university's law school.

Ms Kapoor is part of Dundee's entrepreneurial Okhai family. The family's success began when brothers Ibrahim and Aziz arrived in Dundee in the 1960s from Malawi. They built up a painting and decorating business before trading in their own-brand items, from merchandise like the Okhai calculator to corned beef, marmalade and drinking straws.

Aziz's son, Yusuf, now runs the family wholesale business, Medea International, which has made millions from a 600-strong range of stationery and consumables.

The vice-consul from the British embassy in Bangkok is also assisting in the search for Ms Kapoor.

A spokeswoman for Tayside Police said: "Our officers are assisting the authorities in Thailand and the Foreign Office in liaising with the family at this difficult time."

Ms Kapoor is the second foreign national to have been involved in a white-water rafting accident in Thailand this week. On Monday, the body of a Canadian woman was recovered from the Pai River in the north of the country.

Source: The UK Herald - 18 August 2006

[Jai Dee]

Muslim dynasty mourns gap-year girl

THE head of one of Scotland's most prominent Muslim families yesterday led the tributes to his granddaughter, who is feared to have drowned while white- water rafting in Thailand.

Shenaz Kapoor, 22, a law student at Dundee University, disappeared on Tuesday after she was flung from the dinghy at Pha Ngan.

An intensive search of the area has failed to find any trace of the missing student who had been spending a gap year in Thailand, working with children affected by the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami disaster.

Her grandfather, Ibrahim Okhai, the head of the prominent Okhai business family in Dundee, said of his missing granddaughter: "She was a gem. I can't even imagine life without her.

"She was a practising Muslim and always put others first and helped them regardless of their religion."

Mr Okhai added: "I suppose, in legal terms, one can call her missing but I know she is not missing - she has gone."

He explained: "There was a girl from Dundee University who was with her. There were three or more boats that went out and Shenaz's capsized.

"There were five people on it, four were saved, but Shenaz just disappeared. Her lifejacket was seen floating within one minute of her boat capsizing. I think the current must have taken the lifejacket off her. She was petite and the lifejacket must have been too big.

"We gave her some spending money for her trip but she only used a fraction of it and gave the rest away. That's the type of person she is."

Miss Kapoor was vice-president of Dundee University's Islamic Society and was due to begin the final year of her law degree next month.

Robin White, her course adviser in the School of Law, said: "Everyone here at the university is deeply saddened by this terrible news.

"Shenaz was not only a gifted student, she was also a very popular figure within the school, and she will be sadly missed by us all at the university."

Hassan Habib, the immediate past president of the Dundee University Islamic Society, said that Miss Kapoor represented the "true face of Islam".

He added: "We are absolutely devastated. She was very diligent and very kind and she was devoted to her friends and members of the society.

"She was a true Muslim in the sense of building lives for others, not destroying them. That is the true face of Islam."

A spokeswoman for Tayside Police said: "Our officers are assisting the authorities in Thailand and the Foreign and Commonwealth office in liaising with the family at this difficult time."

The search for a Miss Kapoor was called off yesterday because of bad weather.

Divers may now be brought in to help conduct the search of the stretch of river where she disappeared.

Mr Ibrahim Okhai arrived in Dundee in the 1960s with his brothers Aziz and Bashir. They ran a painting and decorating business before starting up an export business which began trading in their own branded items, which included the Okhai calculator.

By the 1980s, they employed around 120 people and also took over the Keiller jam factory in Dundee.

Aziz's son Yusuf now runs the family business, Medea International, which sells computer- ware and recordable CDs from its base in the city's Dunsinane Industrial Estate.

Source: The Scotsman - 18 August 2006

[Jai Dee]

Dundee woman feared dead in Thailand

A Dundee law student is feared dead after being swept away during a white-water rafting trip in Thailand, writes Graham Huband.

Shenaz Kapoor — a member of the Okhai business family from Dundee — vanished on Tuesday when her raft capsized at rapids in Ton Parawat National Park.

A lifejacket was spotted floating down river and a search for the 22-year-old launched.

Shenaz, in Thailand for the summer with a friend from Dundee, who was also on the rafting trip, had spent the past four weeks working with victims of the Asian tsunami.

Her grandfather Ibrahim today told of the family’s heartache and paid tribute to the authorities who have helped.

He said Shenaz’s brother Amar had flown out to Thailand.

Her mother, Mumtaz, is being comforted by relatives in Dundee.

Ibrahim said, “There was a girl from Dundee University who was with her. There were three or more boats that went out and Shenaz’s capsized.

“There were five people on it, four were saved, but Shenaz just disappeared. Her lifejacket was seen floating within one minute of her boat capsizing.

“I think the current must have taken the lifejacket off her. She was petite and the lifejacket must have been too big.

“We can’t believe it. It is impossible to accept she is gone and until the body is found it will be very difficult for us to accept.

“I can’t thank the British Consul in Bangkok, the Foreign Office and Tayside Police enough.”

A Tayside Police spokesperson said, “Our officers are assisting the authorities in Thailand and the Foreign Office in liaising with the family at this difficult time.”

The FO confirmed efforts were continuing to locate Shenaz.

Brothers Aziz, Ibrahim and Bashir Okhai arrived in Dundee in the 1960s. They ran an export firm and by the 1980s employed 120 people and took over the Keiller jam factory.

They later wound down their business interests but Aziz’s son, Yusuf, founded Medea International, which sells computer consumables from its base in Dunsinane Industrial Estate.

Hassan Habib, immediate past president of the Dundee University Islamic Society, said Shenaz represented the “true face of Islam.”

He said Shenaz — vice-president of the society — was popular within the group and at university.

Hassan said he had been in contact with Shenaz’s family and was “waiting for news” from Thailand.

He said, “We are absolutely devastated.

“She was very diligent and very kind and she was devoted to her friends and members of the society.

“She was a true Muslim in the sense of building lives for others not destroying them.

“That is the true face of Islam.”

Dundee University said today Shenaz was due to begin the final year of her degree in September.

Mr Robin White, her course adviser, said, “Everyone here is deeply saddened.

“Shenaz was not only a gifted student, she was also a very popular figure within the school, and she will be sadly missed.”

Source: Evening Telegraph - 18 August 2006