Madinah Bus Tragedy: Saudi Telangana Team to Oversee Last Rites, Says Owaisi

Asaduddin Owaisi, the leader of AIMIM, mentioned at his Darussalam office on Wednesday, November 19, that a team from the Telangana government has arrived in Madinah, Saudi Arabia. They are collaborating with local officials to make sure the funeral arrangements for the 45 victims of the Umrah bus crash go smoothly.

The group includes the state minority welfare minister, Mohammad Azharuddin, AIMIM legislators, and two relatives from each victim's family. They have all reached Saudi Arabia.

Owaisi told reporters he's regularly speaking with the Indian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Dr. Suhel Ajaz Khan. He described the event as deeply sad, painful, and heartbreaking, noting that one family lost 18 members and another lost 6. He prayed for forgiveness and mercy for the deceased.

Early on Monday, November 17, a bus carrying people on an Umrah pilgrimage caught fire after colliding with a diesel tanker near Madinah. The accident resulted in the deaths of at least 45 pilgrims, including 10 children. Many of the victims were from areas like Asif Nagar, Jhirra, Mehdipatnam, and Tolichowki.

The only survivor, 24-year-old Abdul Shoeb Mohammed from Asifnagar, is receiving medical attention at a German Hospital in Madinah.

The Telangana government has pledged to provide Rs 5 lakh as compensation to each of the grieving families.