Pall of gloom descends on Saudi Arabia accident victim’s native place in Karnataka

Grief engulfed the residence of 55-year-old Abdul Ghani Shirahatti here after his family received news of his death in a bus accident in Saudi Arabia’s Madina, where he had travelled to perform the Umrah pilgrimage.

According to his family, Ghani, who was employed as a driver at a hotel in Dubai, had proceeded to Saudi Arabia on November 9 for the pilgrimage.

“My uncle has been working in Dubai for the past twenty years. He called me yesterday. He had been wanting to go and perform the Umrah pilgrimage, and unfortunately this incident happened. We came to know about his death this afternoon. One of his friends, based in Hyderabad, informed us about it as his family had also gone for the pilgrimage,” Ghani’s nephew Parvez told PTI Videos.

As the news reached his home, relatives and neighbours rushed to offer support, many of them inconsolable as they mourned the loss.

A pall of gloom has descended over the Ganeshpeth area here as the family awaits further details and the repatriation of his body.

Meanwhile, Congress MLA Abbayya Prasad met Ghani’s family and assured them that all arrangements are being made by the government to help them visit Saudi Arabia and bring the body back.

At least 45 Indians, the majority of them Umrah pilgrims from Telangana’s capital Hyderabad, were killed in Saudi Arabia’s Madina after their bus collided with an oil tanker, officials said on Monday.