Bahrain court hears ‘Umrah crash’ cases

Author: 
Arab News
Publication Date: 
Sat, 2008-11-01 03:00

MANAMA: A Bahraini court heard this week the cases of seven resident pilgrims from Bahrain, who were killed in a bus accident in Saudi Arabia last year.

Lawyer Ali Hussain Thamir, who is arguing the case, told Arab News yesterday that the court had begun deliberation of the cases so families of the victims and those injured could get justice.

The first hearing of 36 cases, including six deceased and 30 survivors, was held in the middle of this week. The next hearing has been put off till further notice. The Bahrain-registered bus was carrying 48 pilgrims to Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah when it smashed into a tanker on the Riyadh-Al Qassim highway in March last year. The crash led to an oil leak, which resulted in a fire that subsequently engulfed the bus from Bahrain. According to initial reports, most of the passengers sustained burn injuries.

Thamir said he was fighting for compensation for the families of the deceased and the survivors. “Those who died should receive compensation. It is their right,” the lawyer said.

The bus was carrying 15 Indians, 12 Bangladeshis and 21 Pakistanis. Seven people — six expatriates and one Bahraini (the driver) — were killed and 33 injured in the accident.

The bus was registered with Bahrain-based Mohammed Abdul Rahman Hakkim, who operates the Al Bayyan Hajj and Umrah

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