The Telangana Government has announced an ex gratia of ₹5 lakh each to the families of 45 people from the state who lost their lives in a bus accident in Saudi Arabia.
According to the Telangana Chief Minister’s Office, the decision was taken at a cabinet meeting held at the state secretariat on Monday. The government has also decided to send an official team to Saudi Arabia to coordinate assistance for affected families.
The delegation will be led by State Minority Welfare Minister Mohd Azharuddin. An AIMIM MLA and a senior official from the Minority Welfare Department will accompany him. Two family members of each victim will also travel to Saudi Arabia.
The Telangana CMO stated that the last rites of the deceased will be performed in Saudi Arabia.
At least 45 Umrah pilgrims from Hyderabad and other districts of Telangana died when their bus caught fire near Medina. Hyderabad Police Commissioner VC Sajjanar said the vehicle was travelling from Makkah to Madinah when it collided with an oil tanker around 25 km before Medina, triggering an explosion that engulfed the bus.
“The fire spread rapidly, leaving no time for most passengers to escape,” Sajjanar said.
Out of 54 pilgrims who travelled to Jeddah on November 9 for the Umrah tour, four reached Madinah separately by car, while four stayed back in Makkah. The remaining 46 pilgrims were on board the bus involved in the accident.
Forty-five passengers died at the spot after the bus was completely burnt. The sole survivor, Md Abdul Shoaib, is receiving treatment in the ICU of a Saudi hospital and is in critical condition.
––ANI