Hyderabad mourns as 18 from same family, spanning three generations, die in Medinah bus crash

Hyderabad: As many as 18 members of the same family, that is, three generations of a Shaikh family, died in the Mufrihat bus accident in Saudi Arabia on Monday morning.

A total of 45 pilgrims from Hyderabad have been declared dead. Lone survivor Mohammed Shoaib is in the hospital in a critical condition.

Three generations gone

Three generations of the Shaikh family, including grandparents, parents and children, died in the accident. The collision between the bus and the diesel tanker led to the bus and its inhabitants being burned beyond recognition.

The family lived in Ramnagar, Musheerabad. The deceased has been identified as:

Shaikh Naseeruddin, A retired railway employee residing next to the CPI(M) Marx Bhavan in Vidyanagar - 65 years

Wife of Naseeruddin, Akhter Begum - 60 years

Son Saluddin Shaikh - 38 years

Wife of Saluddin Shaikh - 35 years

Sirajuddin - son, staying in the USA, was travelling with them for Ummrah

Wife of Sriajuddin - Sultana Sana

Ammina, Rizwana and Shammema Begum - daughters

Maria - 12 years old

Sahaja - 5 years old

Jafar - son of Shammema Begum

Six small children

A relative of the family, Syed from Ramnagar, says, “We were in constant touch and when the communication stopped on Monday, we got worried. I was telling them not to go together and to take all the children.”

The sole adult male survivor from this particular branch of the family is reportedly the elder son who had remained in the United States and could not join the trip due to the unavailability of a ticket.

Other losses from the city

Santoshnagar: Another family of five from Owaisi Colony, Santoshnagar, also perished in the crash. The victims included:

Sabiha Begum (maternal cousin of a relative)

Irfan Ahmed (son of Sabiha Begum)

Humera Nazneen (wife of Irfan Ahmed)

Hamdan Ahmed (a minor)

Izaan Ahmed (a minor)

There were other family members who were travelling in the car, asked Sabiha to come with them. They reached Madinah and when the bus did not arrive got restless. The daughter of Sabiha Begum, who is in Medinah, is inconsolable as she repeatedly requested her mother to join the journey in the car.

Mallepally (Bazaar Ghat): At least 16 people who died in the incident were confirmed to be from Mallepally’s Bazaar Ghat area. People from the areas in Meraj Colony, Mughal Nagar, Jhirra, Asif Nagar, Mehdipatnam, and Tolichowki were also affected by the crash.

Ten minors were also on the bus, and details of only two are known so far.

The last journey

The pilgrims, who had left Hyderabad on November 9, were returning to Medina from Mecca after completing their Umrah rituals. They were scheduled to fly back to Hyderabad on Saturday, November 23.

Their journey was tragically cut short at around 1:30 am IST when the bus collided with a diesel tanker near Mufrihat, causing a rapid fire that left the bodies charred and identification extremely difficult.

The governments of India and Telangana are coordinating with Saudi Arabian authorities to manage the aftermath.

Financial aid and helplines

The Telangana Cabinet has announced an ex gratia of Rs 5 lakh to the families of the victims.

Due to the severity of the fire, the bodies are charred, making identification extremely difficult. The Telangana Cabinet has decided that the deceased will be laid to rest in Saudi Arabia in accordance with their religious customs. Arrangements will be made for two family members from each bereaved family to travel to Saudi Arabia for the last rites.

Control rooms remain active at the Consulate General of India in Jeddah (Toll-free: 8002440003) and the Telangana Secretariat to assist anxious families seeking updates and coordination.