Hyderabad pilgrims who died in Saudi bus accident to be buried in Madina today; DNA process completed

HYDERABAD: The last rites of 45 Umrah pilgrims from Hyderabad who died in a bus accident near Madina in Saudi Arabia on November 16 will be performed in the holy city on Friday.

Funeral prayers on Friday will be conducted at Masjid-e-Nabawi, with burial at Jannat-ul-Baqi in Madina, officials from the Telangana Haj Committee said on Thursday.

A group of 35 family members of the deceased, who flew from Hyderabad, completed DNA sampling and all mandatory formalities soon after landing in Saudi Arabia.


"The DNA analysis was done immediately after we arrived. We were then taken to the local police station to finish documentation, including securing documents required for the burial process," said Rizwan Ahmed, who lost his mother Sabiha Sultana (57), his brother's family — Irfan Ahmed (38), Humera Nazneen (31) — and their children Izaan (7) and Hamdaan (6).

"We are now waiting for the final formalities so that the last rites can be conducted," he said. The family is now represented only by Rizwan as his brother Imran, and their father Saleem Ahmed , stayed back in Hyderabad.

Imran Sharif, nephew of Naseeruddin (70) — who lost 17 family members aged between two and 70 — also reached Madina on Thursday. "I did not travel with the group of 35. I had to come separately because Siraj, the only surviving member of our family, is flying in from the US and is not in a stable condition, so I needed to be here. Eleven other members of our family have arrived with the group," he said.

Haj committee chairman Syed Gulam Afzal Biyabani Khusro Pasha said authorities were preparing for Friday's burial. "All the families have completed their procedures. Once the DNA reports are issued, the bodies will be handed over and buried at Jannat-ul-Baqi. We expect the entire process to be completed by Friday evening," he said.

A Telangana delegation, consisting of minority welfare minister Mohammed Azharuddin, MLA Majid Hussain, and department secretary B Shafiullah, is in Saudi Arabia to coordinate with Indian and Saudi authorities as the final identification of the deceased is completed.

In Hyderabad, BRS working president KT Rama Rao met families of the victims from Musheerabad and expressed condolences. He assured them the party would help with any pending procedures and said he would reach out to the ministry of external affairs if required. "A BRS team has already reached Saudi Arabia to support the families on-ground," he added.



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