A 13-year-old from Brixton who became the first child in the UK to have died after testing positive for coronavirus has been buried without his family present.
The coffin carrying Ismail Mohamed Abdulwahab, 13, was lowered into the ground by four people wearing protective clothing and face masks as his family remained in self-isolation.
They were unable to attend after two of his six siblings began displaying symptoms of the virus after Ismail died on Monday.
A ceremony at the Eternal Gardens dedicated Muslim burial ground in Kemnal Park, Chislehurst, was held on Friday afternoon.
Mourners all stood apart from each other as they observed social distancing guidelines.
Ismail, from Brixton, south London, died alone in hospital in the early hours of Monday.
Family friend Mark Stephenson, who set up an appeal on GoFundMe for the family, said Ismail’s younger brother and older sister since developed mild Covid-19 symptoms.
He said Ismail’s immediate family had been left “devastated” at not being able to attend the funeral.
He said: “It’s extremely upsetting for everyone involved, but they have been very moved by the warmth and very positive messages of support from people following their appeal.”
Ismail, who had no apparent underlying health conditions, was described by his family as a “gentle and kind” boy with a “heartwarming” smile.
He tested positive for Covid-19 last Friday, a day after he was admitted to King’s College Hospital, and he died on Monday at 3am after his lungs failed and he had a cardiac arrest.
Mr Stephenson, college director at the Madinah College where Ismail’s sister works, set up the GoFundMe page to raise money for funeral costs and for the family, who also lost Ismail’s father to cancer.
By Friday morning more than £70,000 had been raised, far exceeding the £4,000 target.
