Two brothers from Newport in Wales have died from coronavirus within hours of one another.
Ghulam Abbass, 59, and Razza Ghulam, 53, were treated in adjoining beds at the Royal Gwent Hospital but died on April 22, just three weeks after the death of their father who had an unrelated condition.
The family ran a newsagents for more than 20 years, and Razza was a manager at The Range distribution centre in Avonmouth.
The brothers were buried next to one another at St Woolos cemetery close to their father’s grave, although only a few members could attend due to coronavirus restrictions.
BBC News reports that Rukhsar Abbass, daughter of Ghulam Abbass, said: “I didn’t realise how much of a well-known family we had, and how much of an impact my father and his brother had on the community, until now.
“We’ve had so many messages of support from members of the community and further afield, and even MPs have contacted us to send their condolences. It shows the kind of men they were. We’re all so proud of them and are totally heartbroken.”
She added it was “horrible” to have to adhere to social distancing while mourning her father. “I had to grieve for my father through a window. It’s a horrible feeling that I wouldn’t wish on anyone. But to have had hundreds of people praying for our family – some that didn’t even know us – has been unbelievable. I can’t thank everyone enough.”
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Ghulam Abbass leaves a wife and two daughters. His younger brother leaves a wife and two sons.
Nichola Mincher, Razza’s wife, said: “He was nothing but a true gentleman with the heart of gold and he would do anything to help anyone. He was humble. He was our hero.”
