May 9, 2003	Friday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 6, 1424

AHMEDABAD, May 8: A set of Indian twins who followed each other every step of their lives proved inseparable even in death when they passed away within hours of each other at the age of 71, friends said on Thursday.

Ibrahimbhai Jumabhai and Ismaeelbahi Jumabhai, who lived and worked together as washermen and had married two sisters, both died on Monday.

“When Ibrahim passed away in the early morning, we were scared to tell his brother. The moment we told Ismaeel, who was older of the two, he started feeling uneasy,” Farooq Shaikh, a close acquaintance of the twins, said.

“By evening, he too passed away. In some way, they were always attached together by some invisible cord.”

Shaikh said they had similar health problems, suffering from diabetes and respiratory diseases.—AFP