18 of one Hyderabad family, 5 of another killed in Saudi bus accident

Saudi bus accident

A tragic bus accident in Saudi Arabia has left 18 members of one extended family and five from another, both from Hyderabad, dead. The total death toll for the incident, which occurred near Medina, is feared to be as high as 45 Indian pilgrims, with only one survivor from the bus group.

Relatives were quoted by The Hindu as saying that Shaik Naseeruddin and his wife, Akhter Begum, residents of Ramnagar in Musheerabad, had left Hyderabad with one of their two sons, their two daughters, and a daughter-in-law to fulfil their religious duties. The family had been eagerly anticipating the pilgrimage for weeks, sharing their quiet excitement with those close to them.

“Eighteen people died. They were from the same house. We are now at the Haj House in Nampally and are trying to get more details because there was some confusion. Those who died are my wife’s close relatives. One of them, Shaik Naseeruddin, is her maternal uncle, and Akhter Begum is her aunt. Many women and children had left Hyderabad. Parents, children and grandchildren,” said Nayeem, who has been coordinating with the family and government officials.

He added that one of Naseeruddin’s sons had remained in the city, while his wife accompanied the rest of the family on the pilgrimage.

A similar tragedy struck another family as well. Sabiha Begum, her son Irfan Ahmed, his wife Humera Nazneen, and their children, Hamdan Ahmed and Izaan Ahmed, were also among the victims.

“They had come to our house barely 10 or 12 days ago, before leaving for umrah,” Mohammed Ahmed, a resident of Owaisi Colony in Santoshnagar and Sabiha’s maternal cousin, told the newspaper.

“They told us about the upcoming pilgrimage, and everyone was very happy. We had dinner together because it was an important moment for the entire family. It feels as if it were only yesterday. Izaan and Hamdan were just children,” he added.

Chairman of the Telangana State Haj Committee (TGHC), an agency of the Minorities Welfare Department, organises Haj pilgrimages to Saudi Arabia, Syed Ghulam Afzal Biyabani, was quoted as saying that the Committee has no jurisdiction over private tour operators. However, they will extend all assistance to the family of the victims in terms of providing information and clarity.

“We are speaking to the State government. All information will most certainly be given to the victims. I understand that this is a very difficult situation for them, and I offer my deepest condolences,” Biyabani was quoted as saying.