45 Indian accident victims to be buried in Saudi Arabia; families face uphill battle for compensation

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu) : Following the tragic road accident that killed 45 Indian citizens on the Umrah pilgrimage late Sunday night on the Mecca-Medina Highway in Saudi Arabia, the Telangana government has taken a major decision. The government has clarified that all the deceased will be buried in Saudi Arabia according to local religious customs.

The Telangana cabinet meeting also decided that two people from each family would be sent to Saudi Arabia to attend the funeral. Some reports said relatives would be given the option of bringing the bodies back to India or burying them at Jannatul Baqi in Medina, but Saudi law makes the return of bodies nearly impossible.

The compensation process will be lengthy

It is difficult for families of those who lost their lives in accidents to receive immediate compensation. In Saudi Arabia, no direct government compensation is provided for road accidents. Families can receive compensation only if a police investigation proves negligence on the part of the tanker driver or company, and the families of the deceased file a legal claim—a process that can take several months. Meanwhile, the Telangana government has announced a state-level compensation of Rs. 5 lakh to each family of the deceased.

Saudi Arabia does not repatriate the bodies of pilgrims

The documents provided to pilgrims before the Hajj or Umrah pilgrimage clearly state that in the event of death on Saudi soil, the body will be buried there. However, in the case of non-pilgrim Indians, the body can be repatriated if the family wishes.

The bus was standing, a high speed fuel tanker came from behind

The accident took place on Sunday night at around 1:30 am Indian time in Muhras area, 25 km away from Medina. According to Hyderabad police, 54 people had gone to Saudi from Hyderabad on 9th November. They were to return on 23rd November. Out of these, 4 people had gone to Medina separately by car on Sunday. Whereas 4 people had stayed in Mecca. There were 46 people in the bus that met with the accident. The bus of Umrah pilgrims going from Mecca to Medina was standing on the roadside when suddenly a high speed fuel tanker coming from behind hit it hard.

The dead include 18 women, 17 men, and 10 children. Only one person survived the accident. He has been identified as Mohammad Abdul Shoaib (24), who was sitting next to the driver. Shoaib, also an Indian, was immediately taken to the hospital after the accident and is undergoing treatment at a government hospital. Of the 18 deceased, 9 were from the same family, including 9 children and 9 adults.