Hyderabad, Nov 17 – The Telangana government announced it will pay ₹5 lakh to each family of the 45 Umrah pilgrims who lost their lives in a bus crash in Saudi Arabia.
The decision was made during a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy. In the same session, the government set up a delegation that will travel to Saudi Arabia. Minister for Minorities Welfare Mohammed Azharuddin will head the group, which will also include an MLA from the All India Majlis‑e‑Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) and a senior minority‑welfare official.
The cabinet ordered that the victims receive last rites according to their religious traditions in Saudi Arabia. It also arranged for at least two relatives of the deceased to visit the country for the burial.
The tragedy struck when a bus carrying 46 pilgrims caught fire after colliding with an oil tanker about 25 km from Medina. The bus had left Jeddah on Nov. 9 and was scheduled to return on the 23rd after completing Umrah in Mecca. While some pilgrims stayed in Mecca and others rode in a car to Medina, the rest were on the ill‑fated bus.
Hyderabad Police Commissioner V. C. Sajjanar reported that one pilgrim, Mohammed Abdul Shoaib, survived and is receiving treatment in a hospital. He confirmed that the 54 pilgrims set off from Hyderabad’s Asif Nagar, Jhirra, Mehdipatnam, and Toli Chowki areas.
The deceased include 17 men, 18 women and 10 children. Minister Azharuddin said a control room at the Haj House will keep families updated. He added that the bodies are severely burned; DNA testing will identify them, and the Indian Consul General will coordinate burials in Saudi Arabia.
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