Saudi Bus Accident Indians: Why will the bodies of 45 Indians in Saudi bus accident not return to India? Has identification of dead bodies become impossible or are religious rules coming in the way? Big question on compensation too – on whom should the family pin its hopes?
New Delhi. Mecca-Medina Highway Bus Accident of Saudi Arabia has shocked the whole of India. 45 Indian citizens died in this accident. But the biggest question after the accident is this – why is the Saudi government refusing to send the bodies of Indian citizens to India? After all, what rules and circumstances are creating such a compulsion that all the dead bodies will be buried in Saudi only?
How did the accident happen? What condition was the bus in?
Late on Sunday night, the bus carrying Umra passengers was standing on the side of the highway. Then a speeding fuel tanker coming from behind hits the bus so hard that it catches fire within a moment. Many passengers were sleeping, no one got a chance to understand anything. This accident happened near Muhras area, 25 kilometers from Madina. The dead included 18 women, 17 men and 10 children. The saddest thing is that 18 people of the same family were killed, of which 9 were children and 9 were elders.
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Is it really not possible to bring dead bodies to India?
The Saudi administration says that there is a religious and administrative tradition of burying Muslim pilgrims in the Mecca-Medina area. But this is not the only real reason.
- 1. Condition of dead bodies is very serious: Most of the bodies are so badly burnt that it is almost impossible to identify them. According to Saudi health regulations, sending highly burnt bodies to another country is considered a risk.
- 2. Forensic Identification Difficult: According to the Indian Embassy, many bodies have not been identified yet. Even DNA samples are not able to help.
- 3. Religious Tradition + Administrative Instructions: Thousands of pilgrims from around the world die in the Mecca-Medina area every year, and it is common practice to bury them there.
Will the families get compensation?
Every family is asking this question. But Saudi law is very strict-
- The Saudi government does not provide any direct compensation for road accidents.
- Compensation will be given only if the investigation proves that the tanker driver or the company was at fault.
- This process of investigation can drag on for months – sometimes years.
- Therefore, there is very little hope of immediate financial assistance.
- Telangana government has currently announced an assistance of Rs 5 lakh each.
18 people from Hyderabad were from the same family?
The most painful thing is that 18 of those who died belonged to the same family, which included 9 children and 9 elders. All of them were to return to India on 22 November. A total of 46 people were traveling in the bus, out of which only one person – 24-year-old Mohammad Abdul Shoaib – survived. He was sitting next to the driver and was able to get out immediately.
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Can bodies be brought to India?
Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi has appealed to the Central Government to bring the body to India. Expressing grief, Prime Minister Modi and External Affairs Minister Jaishankar said that the Indian Embassy is in constant touch with the Saudi administration. But experts believe that since the death occurred in the Mecca-Medina zone and the bodies were badly burnt, the chances of being brought to India are extremely slim.
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What is Umrah?
Umrah is a religious journey to Mecca-Medina. It can be performed any day of the year and is not mandatory like Hajj.