GORAKHPUR, July 22 -- A pall of gloom descended on Karmel village under Gauri Bazar police station in Deoria after its 22-year-old native Abhishek Nishad, a sailor, was killed in a Russian missile strike near the Ukrainian port of Odesa on Sunday. Nishad was among four Indian seafarers killed in the missile attack on a Guinea-Bissau-flagged cargo ship, which claimed 10 lives, including Indian and Syrian crew members, making it one of the deadliest recent attacks on commercial shipping in the region. The bereaved family has appealed to the Centre to facilitate the return of Abhishek's mortal remains to India. His father Kaushal Nishad, 50, said the family was informed of his death by the shipping company. "On June 9, Abhishek left for his first overseas assignment. He flew to Turkiye via Mumbai to join the vessel," Kaushal Nishad said. "Everyone in our family and neighbourhood was proud that one of our boys had secured a job abroad. We never imagined it would end in such a tragedy," he added. Raj Kumar Gupta, SDM, Gauri Bazar, said the administration received information about the incident through the village head and is in contact with the family. "We are awaiting instructions from the ministry of external affairs. All possible assistance will be provided to the bereaved family," the SDM said. htc...