Forty-two Indian pilgrims, including 18 members of a family from Hyderabad, died in a road accident near Madinah in Saudi Arabia. The accident happened at night when the bus collided with a diesel tanker. PM Modi and Telangana government expressed condolences and started helping.
Hyderabad. 18 people from the same family were among 42 Indian pilgrims killed in a road accident near Madinah in Saudi Arabia. There are also 9 children among them. According to people associated with this family from Hyderabad, everyone had to return to India by Saturday after performing Haj.
Went to Saudi Arabia 8 days ago for Umrah
According to Mohammad Asif, a person related to the family of those killed in the road accident near Madina, “My sister-in-law, brother-in-law, his son, three daughters and their children had gone for Umrah 8 days ago. Umrah had been completed and they were preparing to return to Madina. Then at around 1.30 in the night, this accident happened, due to which the bus was burnt to ashes. Asif told that before this accident, he had talked to his relatives. This accident 18 people of the same family have died. This is an unforgettable tragedy for us.”
Crying, the sister said, my brother’s entire family is destroyed.
Asif has identified some of his relatives as Naseeruddin (70), his wife Akhtar Begum (62), son Salauddin (42), daughters Amina (44), Rizwana (38), Shabana (40) and their children. Naseeruddin and his family lived at a house in Ramnagar, Hyderabad. Someone asked a neighbor for the keys and as soon as his sister entered the house, everyone started crying loudly. She also cried saying that my brother’s entire family was destroyed.
The accident happened 30 kilometers away from Madina.
Most of the 42 people killed in the road accident were residents of Hyderabad. According to reports, the bus in which they were traveling collided with a diesel tanker about 30 kilometers from Madinah. The accident occurred when most of the passengers were in deep sleep. Therefore he did not get a chance to escape and save his life.
PM Modi expressed grief
Expressing grief over the incident, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, “My thoughts are with the families who have lost their loved ones. I pray for the speedy recovery of all the injured. Our Embassy in Riyadh and Consulate in Jeddah are providing all possible assistance. Our officials are in constant touch with the Saudi Arabian authorities.”
You can ask for help on helpline number
The Indian Consulate has set up a control room and helpline after the incident. This helpline can be contacted on toll-free number – 8002440003. At the same time, Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy expressed grief over the incident and asked senior officials of the state to stay in touch with the Indian Consulate and provide necessary help. He said, the government stands with all the affected families.