Lulu Group chairman Yusuff Ali undergoes spinal surgery following helicopter incident in Kerala

Lulu group chairman M A Yusuff Ali has successfully undergone spinal surgery days after the helicopter he was travelling in, had to make a forced landing in Kerala, the group said in a statement.

The chopper carrying Ali, his wife and five others made a forced landing in a marshy area by the side of the National Highway 66 on the outskirts of Kochi early on Sunday owing to technical issues.

Ali underwent the surgery at Burjeel Hospital in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, the statement informed. “An expert team of 25 doctors led by German neurosurgeon Prof Dr Shawarbi performed the surgery and Yusuff Ali is recovering well in the hospital,” the statement read.

It added, “Dr Shamsheer V P, son-in-law of Ali and owner of Burjeel Hospital, led the entire operation from the front — rushing to Koch on April 11 and bringing back Ali to Abu Dhabi swiftly and safely in a special flight.”