Madinah bus crash kills 45 Umrah pilgrims from Hyderabad; 18 from one family
HYDERABAD: A bus carrying Umrah pilgrims from the city collided with a diesel tanker near Madinah in Saudi Arabia, killing 45 passengers, including 18 members of a single family, on November 11.
The bus caught fire after the collision near Mufrihat, about 160 km from Madinah, in the early hours of Monday. Officials said 17 men, 18 women and 10 children were among the dead. Most of the victims were residents of Asif Nagar, Jhirra, Mehdipatnam and Tolichowki.
Family loses 18 members in single accident
Retired railway employee Shaik Naseeruddin, who lived near the CPI(M) Marx Bhavan in Vidyanagar, lost 18 members of his extended family. They had left Hyderabad on November 9 for the Umrah pilgrimage.
The deceased from the family include Naseeruddin, 65; Akhter Begum, 60; his younger brother, 38, and sister-in-law, 35; and their three children. Another set of victims included Sirajuddin, who lived in the United States, his wife Sana, 40, and their three children. Amina Begum and her daughter, Shameena Begum and her son, and Rizwana Begum and her two children also died.
Only one survivor from Hyderabad
Abdul Shoeb Mohammed, 24, from Asif Nagar, was the only survivor from the bus. He is undergoing treatment at a German Hospital in Madinah and remains in critical condition.
Hyderabad city police commissioner VC Sajjanar said preliminary information from Saudi authorities confirmed that the bus collided with a diesel tanker before catching fire.
Leaders meet bereaved family in Vidyanagar
Relatives and friends gathered at the Vidyanagar residence of the family through Monday. Union minister Kishan Reddy and Telangana Congress Committee chief Mahesh Kumar Goud met the grieving relatives. They assured that the Centre and state would extend assistance to the families of the victims.
