Mohammed Abdul Shoaib (right), the sole survivor of a bus accident in Madina, Saudi Arabia, speaks to his family members, in Hyderabad, on Tuesday. | Photo credit: PTI
Mohammed Abdul Shoaib, who survived the Medina bus crash, landed in Hyderabad around 9:10 am on Tuesday aboard an Indigo flight.
A road accident involving a bus and an oil tanker claimed the lives of 45 Umrah pilgrims, leaving the families of the victims devastated and the city in shock.
Mr. Shoaib traveled from King Abdul Aziz International Airport with his brother accompanied by Telangana State Haj Committee (TGHC) official Mohammed Ali Masood. A visibly emotional Mr Shoaib arrived at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport where members of his extended family gathered to receive him. He spoke little at the airport and left for his home in Jhirra.
He later spoke to the media at his residence, recounting how the tragedy unfolded in just “five minutes”.
He said the bus was on its way to Medina when one of the passengers asked to use the toilet located at the back of the vehicle. The driver parked the bus by the side of the road and within minutes a tanker pulled into it. The bus caught fire shortly after the impact. The driver managed to break the glass and escape and Mr Shoaib followed him.
“My clothes caught fire and I quickly took them off. I then went to the police – who were there and they asked me a few questions, took my fingerprints and sent me to the hospital,” he said.
Mr. Shoaib expressed his gratitude to Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, Minority Welfare Minister Mohammed Azharuddin, Nampalla legislator Mohammed Majid Hussain and Minority Protection Secretary B Shafiullah.
He also thanked Hyderabad Parliament Asaduddin Owaisi and TGHC Chairman Syed Ghulam Afzal Biyabani.
Speaking to The Hindu, TGHC Chairman Mr. Biyabani said, “Shoaib arrived in Hyderabad on an Indigo flight at 9:10 am. TGHC staff were with him at the hospital throughout and coordinated the process of obtaining death certificates. The Telangana government took care of the travel and accommodation expenses of the family members who went to Saudi Arabia to complete the funeral prayers and Jannat-Baqi funeral staff. The discharge summaries and they delivered them to the Indian Embassy.
Published – 02 Dec 2025 21:03 IST
