Hyderabad: A relative of Mohammed Abdul Shoeb — the sole survivor of the Madinah bus accident that killed 45 Hyderabad Umrah pilgrims — was deported from Saudi Arabia due to a past case registered against him.
Sources told Siasat.com that Shoeb’s cousin, Sheik Ibrahim Ahmed, a resident of Jharra in Hyderabad, had travelled to Saudi Arabia to assist in the DNA identification process and attend the funeral of Shoeb’s parents, who were among the victims of the mishap.
However, he was stopped by immigration authorities at Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Madinah after officials reportedly detected a service-related dispute filed against him nearly nine years ago during a previous period of employment in Saudi Arabia.
The long-standing case resulted in a ban on his re-entry into Saudi Arabia. “Because of this earlier issue, he was denied entry and sent back to Hyderabad,” a source added.
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 families of the victims had departed Hyderabad on Tuesday, November 18, accompanied by three state officials, to complete formalities and participate in the funerals.
The Telangana delegation, led by Minorities Welfare Minister Mohammed Azharuddin, received the bereaved families at Madinah Airport on Wednesday, November 19, ensuring their accommodation and procedural requirements were managed smoothly.
Delays in the burial process continue to add to the distress of the victims’ families. The relatives are booked to return on Wednesday, November 26, and if the funerals are further delayed, they may miss the opportunity to perform Umrah.
