HYDERABAD –– A Telangana government delegation led by Minorities Minister Mohammed Azharuddin departed for the holy city of Madinah on Monday night to coordinate with Saudi authorities and assist the families of Umrah pilgrims from the state who died in the tragic bus accident near the holy city.
Azharuddin is accompanied by Minorities Welfare Secretary B. Shafiullah and AIMIM legislator Majid Hussain. The team will oversee formalities in Saudi Arabia and ensure that the deceased are buried in accordance with the families’ wishes and local procedures, reports The Siasat Daily.
Around 35 relatives — two from each bereaved family — are scheduled to travel to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, November 18. Their visa applications were submitted to the Saudi Consulate, and expired passports were renewed urgently through the Regional Passport Office, Hyderabad.
Before departing, Azharuddin reviewed arrangements with government adviser Mohammed Ali Shabbir and TMREIS president A K Faheem Qureshi. The work is being carried out on the instructions of Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy.
The Telangana CMO confirmed that the last rites will be performed in Saudi Arabia.
The state government has announced an ex gratia of Rs 5 lakh for each affected family.
Accident details
At least 45 pilgrims, including ten children, were killed early hours on Monday when their bus collided with a diesel tanker and burst into flames. Most of the victims were residents of Asif Nagar, Jhirra, Mehdipatnam and Tolichowki in Hyderabad.
Of the 54 pilgrims who travelled to Jeddah on November 9, four went to Madinah by car and four stayed back in Makkah. The other 46 pilgrims were on the bus that met with the accident.
Forty-five died at the scene, while the lone survivor, Abdul Shoeb Mohammed, is in critical condition in a Saudi hospital ICU.
The bodies, burnt beyond recognition, have been preserved. DNA tests would be conducted for the family travelling to Saudi Arabia to finalise death certificates, accoding to a senior Telangana official.
“Death certificates would be handed over only if DNA matches,” the official said, according to PTI report.
The funeral of th deceased pilgrims is expected to take place in Madinah on Thursday,.
