Hyderabad, November 22: The Hyderabad pilgrims who died in the recent bus accident near Madinah were laid to rest today in Jannatul Baqi. The funeral prayer took place after Dhuhr at the Prophet’s Mosque. Imam Shaikh Abdul Bari al Thubaiti led the prayer.
Bodies were moved from the mosque to the cemetery immediately after the prayer. A Telangana government delegation attended the burial. The delegation was led by Minorities Welfare Minister Mohammed Azharuddin. Minorities Welfare Secretary B Shafiullah and AIMIM MLA Majid Hussain were also present.
The Indian Embassy in Saudi Arabia confirmed that all funeral procedures were completed today. Andhra Pradesh Governor Justice S Abdul Nazeer, Ambassador Dr Suhel Khan and Consul General Fahad Suri attended the prayer and the burial.
Minister Mohammed Azharuddin said the burial of all 46 victims in Jannatul Baqi was completed after due approval from the Governor of Madinah. He stated that victims of road accidents are usually not buried in Jannatul Baqi, however special permission was granted after official requests from the Telangana government.
He said there was a delay in the burial process because Saudi regulations had to be completed. He added that all relatives who reached Madinah will be taken for Umrah. He thanked Chief Minister Revanth Reddy for his support.
He highlighted the importance of Jannatul Baqi. Thousands of companions of Prophet Muhammad Pbuh, members of Ahl al Bayt and respected scholars are buried in this cemetery. Muslims consider burial in Madinah an honour.
The accident took place on November 17. The bus travelling from Makkah to Madinah hit an oil tanker and caught fire around 1.30 am. There were 46 Hyderabad pilgrims in the bus. Forty five died at the spot. The only survivor, Abdul Shoeb Mohammed, is in critical condition in a Saudi hospital ICU. The driver also died.
The group arrived in Jeddah on November 9. Four of them travelled to Madinah by car and four stayed in Makkah. The others boarded the bus. Most victims were residents of Asif Nagar, Jhirra, Mehdipatnam, Tolichowki, Malakpet and Vidya Nagar.
AIMIM MLA Majid Hussain said the party supported families of the victims from the beginning. He said the delegation coordinated with state authorities and Indian officials in Saudi Arabia. Minister Azharuddin thanked him for his support during the visit.
Mohammed Naseer Giyas is a multi-media and bilingual journalist with over 20 years of experience across print, digital, and television media. Founder of Raftaar-e-Deccan, he is an alumnus of IVLP, Thomson Reuters Foundation, and ICFJ, and has worked with leading English and Urdu news organisations.
