Saudi bus tragedy: 18 members of same family, including 9 kids, killed in crash

In the tragic bus accident in Saudi Arabia, over 40 Indian pilgrims were killed on the Mecca-Madinah highway on Monday (Nov 17). Amid this, it was reported that 18 members of the same family were killed in the accident, nine of them were kids. The family, which hailed from India's Hyderabad, was scheduled to return home on Saturday.

"My sister-in-law, brother-in-law, their son, three daughters and their children went (for Umrah). They left eight days ago. The Umrah was done, and they were returning to Medina. Around 1.30 am, the accident occurred, and the bus was destroyed in the fire. They were supposed to return on Saturday," one of the family members told NDTV.

"Eighteen members of one family -- nine adults and nine children -- have died. It is a terrible tragedy for us," Mohammed Asif said.

Some of the members of the family were identified by Asif as: Naseeruddin (70), his wife Akhter Begum (62), son Salauddin (42), daughters Amina (44), Rizwana (38), and Shabana (40), and their children.

As per officials, over 40 people were on the bus when it crashed into the tanker while travelling from Mecca to Medina. Most of the passengers were sleeping at the time of the incident.

Lone survivor

Meanwhile, only a young man was reported to be the lone survivor of the accident. The 24-year-old Mohd Abdul Shoiab, who was from India's Hyderabad, was sitting near the driver. He is currently undergoing medical treatment. Shoiab's relative, Mohd Tahseen, spoke to The Hindu and said the family received a call from him about the crash. Tahseen said that Shoiab was travelling with seven members of his in-laws’ family. “Our request is simple. Either bring the bodies home or help us go there,” he told the newspaper.

“Shoiab called us and told us what happened. The travel office here said they will arrange for us," he added. Initial reports from Hyderabad suggest that many of the victims were from the city, including 20 women and 11 children.

PM Modi prays for the swift recovery of the injured

The Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his sorrow over the tragedy and said, "Deeply saddened by the accident in Madinah involving Indian nationals. My thoughts are with the families who have lost their loved ones. I pray for the swift recovery of all those injured. Our Embassy in Riyadh and Consulate in Jeddah are providing all possible assistance. Our officials are also in close contact with Saudi Arabian authorities."

How did the tragic crash happen?

Reports suggest that the accident occurred near 1:30 am IST (approximately 11 pm, November 16 local time) in Mufrihat. The vehicle carrying pilgrims who had finished their Umrah pilgrimage was travelling from Mecca to Madinah. As per MediaOne, there were 43 people on the bus—but just one made it through. The survivor has been shifted to a medical centre.