Hyderabad:
Eighteen members of one family, nine of them children, are among the 42 Indian pilgrims killed in a road accident near Medina in Saudi Arabia. The Hyderabad-based family was to return on Saturday, their relatives told NDTV.
“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,” Mohammed Asif said.
Asif said they were in constant touch with their relatives before the tragedy struck. “Eighteen members of one family — nine adults and nine children — have died. It is a terrible tragedy for us,” he said.
Asif identified some of his relatives as Naseeruddin (70), his wife Akhter Begum (62), son Salauddin (42), daughters Amina (44), Rizwana (38), and Shabana (40), and their children.
At the Ramnagar home of Naseeruddin and his family, someone brought in the keys from a neighbour, and it was loud wails as his sister entered the home that was her brother’s home till now. “My brother’s entire family has been wiped out,” she cried out.
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