Different segments of society have expressed grief and sorrow over the death of Dawud Burbank and his wife Khalida Begum Dost who lost their lives when their bus caught fire on its way to Makkah on Monday. The two were traveling with other passengers, who escaped without serious injury. The Society of British Muslims said the community had been “moved” by the couple's death. The bus was in the outskirts of Jeddah when it caught fire. The British embassy in Riyadh said the fire was not being treated as suspicious as it was thought the engine had overheated. The driver managed to stop the bus and most passengers escaped unharmed. Burbank, 49, was an academic researcher and had translated hundreds of religious texts from Arabic into English. The Association of British Hujjaj (ABH), a national Haj and Umrah specific organization in the UK, and its patron, Lord Ahmed of Rotherham, expressed deepest sorrow and sadness at the death of the two pilgrims. “We would like to convey our condolence to the deceased's families, friends and relatives and deepest sympathies to all those who suffered from this trauma,” said Khalid Pervez, General Secretary of the ABH. Neighbors of the couple, who lived in a semi-detached house in Aston, Birmingham, said they were well-liked and had several children. One, who did not want to be named, said: “They seemed perfectly nice, we would say hello all the time. It is such a shame – this tragedy could not have happened to a nicer family.” A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: “We are aware of the death of two British nationals in Saudi Arabia. We are in touch with the local authorities and the next-of-kin and are providing consular assistance at this difficult time.”
