HYDERABAD: Mohammed Abdul Shoaib, the only passenger to survive the Saudi bus accident that claimed 45 lives, returned to Hyderabad around 10.30 am on Tuesday.
The 24-year-old, accompanied by his elder brother Mohammed Sameer and Hajj Committee employee Mohammad Masood, reached home, where his parents and grandfather once lived with him.
Speaking to TNIE at his residence in Jhirra, Asifnagar, Shoaib recounted the horrific events of November 17. The family had completed their pilgrimage in Makkah and were on their way to Madinah after a halt in Badr when the bus stopped near a police checkpost, around 160 km from Madinah, as the onboard toilet door was jammed.
“It all happened within five minutes,” he said. “Suddenly, an oil tanker rammed into us from behind. Flames spread so fast before anyone could understand what was happening.”
The bus driver smashed a window and jumped out. Shoaib, acting on instinct, followed despite the height. His clothes caught fire on impact, and he fractured his leg. With the bus engulfed, he tried to return to rescue his parents but was beaten back by the flames. “I wanted to save my family but the fire was everywhere. I was helpless,” he said.
Burned and barefoot, he limped towards the checkpost for help. He was then taken to Saudi-German Hospital with severe burns and multiple injuries. Now under treatment in Hyderabad, doctors have advised regular dressing and prolonged care. “The pain is still unbearable. I don’t know if I will ever walk normally again,” he said.
“My parents were everything to me; they supported me in every way,” he added. With the family losing both breadwinners, Shoaib has appealed to Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy for support. “I have no one left to depend on. I need support to stand on my feet again,” he said.
His uncle, Mohammad Abdul Saleel, said the loss remained impossible to process. “We are happy that Shoaib has returned alive but we are still not able to cope with the loss of the family,” he said.
Another relative, Wajeed, pointed to the seriousness of Shoaib’s injuries. “It may be difficult for him to walk properly again. We request the chief minister to grant him a government job,” he appealed.
For Shoaib, survival offers little relief. The memories of fire and screams remain fresh and the absence of those he loved most weighs heavier than his injuries.