Baby survives as five die in Mecca taxi crash

By BENJAMIN WRIGHT
Published on 12/02/2013 00:00

FIVE members of the same family have been killed in a car crash in Saudi Arabia – but a one-year-old baby survived.

Three generations of the family, from Wales, had been making a religious pilgrimage to Mecca ahead of a family wedding when the taxi they were travelling in crashed into a ditch.

The victims have been named locally as Shaukat Ali Hayat, 56, his wife Abida, 47, eldest son Mohammed Isshaq, 33, daughter Saira Zenub and Mohammed’s heavily pregnant wife, Bilques, 31. It is believed one-year-old Mohammed Eisa Daniel was the only survivor. Reports say he was found among the crumpled wreckage being cradled in the arms of his dying grandfather.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has confirmed it is providing consular assistance to relatives following the accident on Friday. A spokesman said: “We are aware of a tragic accident in Saudi Arabia. “We can confirm that British nationals were involved in the crash and we are providing consular assistance at this time.”