One Man Who Didn’t Fall Asleep… And Became the Lone Survivor of the Saudi Bus Disaster

Saudi Arabia: The bus going from Mecca to Madina was moving on a very quiet road on Monday morning. Most of the people sitting in the bus were completely tired and were in deep sleep. The bus collided heavily with an oil tanker moving ahead on the way. So fast that the fire broke out within a moment. The flames were so strong that the passengers sleeping inside could not understand what happened, and the bus burned to ashes within a few minutes.

How could Shoaib survive?

24-year-old Mohammad Abdul Shoaib was not able to sleep. Everyone else was sleeping, so he went ahead and sat on the seat near the driver. The conversation was going on when the accident happened. As soon as he felt the impact, he and the driver jumped off the bus without wasting a moment. This is the reason that both their lives were saved. The rest of the passengers were sleeping, and due to the speed with which the fire spread, none of them could come out.

How did the family first get the news?

His relatives were sitting at Nampally Haj House in Hyderabad. Shoaib's call came at around 5.30 in the morning. He was in a panic. All he could say was that the bus was burnt, people could not escape, and he somehow came out. After this, he was taken to the hospital, and then the phone also got switched off.

Who was Shoaib's family in the bus?

Shoaib had gone on the Umrah pilgrimage with his parents, Abdul Qadir and Gausia Begum; grandfather, Mohammad Maulana; and uncle's family. The rest of the family members could not survive the accident. Relatives said that four more people from their area had stayed in Mecca itself. Shoaib called one of them immediately after the accident and informed him about the incident.

Why were the travelers going to Madina?

Everyone had completed the Umrah rituals of Mecca. Now the next stop was Madina. No one sitting in the bus had any idea that such a big tragedy was waiting for them just a few kilometers ahead. When the news of the accident reached Hyderabad, people rushed to Haj House and travel agencies. Everyone ran to get information about their family members, but there was only one answer—out of 45 people, only Shoaib survived.