Eighteen members of one family, nine of them children, are among the 42 Indian pilgrims killed in a road accident near Medina in Saudi Arabia. The Hyderabad-based family was to return on Saturday, their relatives told NDTV.
“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. Around 1.30 am, the accident occurred, and the bus was destroyed in the fire. They were supposed to return on Saturday,” Mohammed Asif said.
Asif said they were in constant touch with their relatives 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.
Asif identified some of his relatives as Naseeruddin (70), his wife Akhter Begum (62), son Salauddin (42), daughters Amina (44), Rizwana (38), and Shabana (40), and their children.
At the Ramnagar home of Naseeruddin and his family, someone brought in the keys from a neighbour, and it was loud wails as his sister entered the home that was her brother’s home till now. “My brother’s entire family has been wiped out,” she cried out.
Most of the 42 people killed in the road crash were from Hyderabad. The bus they were travelling in collided with a diesel tanker about 30 km from Medina, according to reports. The accident occurred late at night when most passengers were sleeping. So they could not escape in time as the vehicle caught fire after the crash.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said he was “deeply saddened” by the incident. “My thoughts are with the families who have lost their loved ones. I pray for the swift recovery of all those injured. Our Embassy in Riyadh and Consulate in Jeddah are providing all possible assistance. Our officials are also in close contact with Saudi Arabian authorities,” he said in a post on X.
The Indian consulate has set up a control room and a helpline after the incident. “In view of a tragic bus accident near Medina, Saudi Arabia, involving Indian Umrah pilgrims, a 24×7 Control Room has been set up in Consulate General of India, Jeddah. The contact details of the Helpline are as under: Toll free number – 8002440003,” the consulate said in a post on X.
Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy has expressed sorrow over the incident and asked top state officials to stay in touch with the Indian consulate and provide necessary support. “The government will stand by the affected families. I pray that they remain strong,” he said.