Eighteen members of a single Hyderabad family, spanning three generations, were among 45 Indian pilgrims killed in a tragic bus accident near Medina in Saudi Arabia on Monday. Nine of the deceased were children. The family had been returning from their Umrah pilgrimage and were expected to reach home on Saturday.
Speaking to media, Mohammed Asif, a relative, said, “My sister-in-law, brother-in-law, their son, three daughters and their children went (for Umrah). They left eight days ago. The Umrah was done, and they were returning to Medina…"
Asif confirmed that the family had been in constant contact before the tragedy struck. “Eighteen members of one family — nine adults and nine children — have died. It is a terrible tragedy for us," he said, identifying some of the victims as Naseeruddin (70), his wife Akhter Begum (62), their son Salauddin (42), daughters Amina (44), Rizwana (38), and Shabana (40), along with their children.
At the Ramnagar home of the family, grief was overwhelming. Relatives entering the house were met with loud wails. “My brother’s entire family has been wiped out," cried one sister, clutching the keys brought in from a neighbour.
The accident took place when a bus carrying 46 passengers collided with an oil tanker while travelling from Mecca to Medina. Only one passenger survived. Authorities described it as one of the deadliest road accidents involving Indian pilgrims in recent years in the Gulf region.
VC Sajjanar, Hyderabad police commissioner, said, “The tragic bus accident involving Indian pilgrims in Saudi Arabia is deeply distressing. According to preliminary information, 46 people were travelling in the bus at the time of the incident, and heartbreakingly, only one person survived."
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, and Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy offered condolences to the families.
In a post on X, Jaishankar said that the Indian embassy in Riyadh and the consulate in Jeddah were providing support to the relatives of the victims.
Source: News18