A devastating road accident near Medina, Saudi Arabia, has left the city of Hyderabad reeling after 18 members of a single extended family — spanning three generations — were killed when a bus carrying Umrah pilgrims collided with a diesel tanker and caught fire.
In all, as many as 45 Indian nationals were killed in this devastating tragedy.
The central figure in the bereaved family is Shaik Naseeruddin, a retired railway guard, who, along with his wife Akhtar Begum, his children, and several grandchildren, tragically lost their lives in the blaze.
Among the deceased are Salauddin, Amina, Rizwana, Shabana, and nine children — a profound loss that has left the family’s home in Vidyanagar, Hyderabad, eerily silent.
According to reports, Naseeruddin and his wife lived in Nallakunta, while his daughters lived separately in neighbourhoods like Malakpet, Musheerabad, and Moosarambagh.
The relatives say the group had gathered in Hyderabad before departing together for Mecca on November 9, and they were scheduled to return after performing Umrah.
In a cruel twist, Naseeruddin’s only surviving son — who lives in the United States — did not join the pilgrimage, meaning there is now no direct adult male left from his nuclear family in Hyderabad.
The Telangana government has mobilised a delegation led by Minorities Minister Mohammed Azharuddin and AIMIM MLA Mohammed Majid Hussain to travel to Saudi Arabia to help coordinate with local authorities, support bereaved families, and oversee formalities such as DNA testing and burial rites.
An ex gratia payment of ₹5 lakh has been announced for each deceased pilgrim’s family.
The horrifying scale of this loss — 18 members from one family alone — has sparked shock and sorrow across Telangana.
Community members are calling for accountability and safety measures, especially as many victims were children.
May their souls rest in peace and their memory be a blessing.
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