Saudis’ sympathizing with Al-Shahrani, lone survivor of accident, became instant hit on social media

Saudi Gazette report

MADINAH — The hashtags — #Child_Muhammad_Al-Shahrani and #Orphan of_Asir — became instant hit on social media platforms, with many users of X platform (formerly twitter) expressed their grief and showed their sympathy and empathy with Muhammad Al-Shahrani, the lone survivor of a horrific accident last week.

The five-year-old boy lost his parents and four siblings in a road accident on Quraidah road that connecting Mahd al-Dahab and Madinah. “May God strengthen you in your brokenness, O Muhammad…” With these words, many Saudis expressed their sorrow and sympathy over the tragedy. There were tremendous responses from the social media users, with a flow of their comments with the hashtags #Child_Muhammad_Al-Shahrani and #Orphan of_Asir.

A Saudi soldier, his wife and their four children – a boy aged 11 and three girls aged 15, 17 and 20 were killed in the accident. Muhammad, the fifth child survived and was hospitalized with injuries.

Abdul Rahman Hamouda, spokesman of Madinah Health Cluster, said earlier that Muhammad was transferred from the accident site on board an air ambulance of the Saudi Red Crescent Authority to the Maternity Hospital in Madinah, and his health condition is stable after receiving the necessary medical care.

The boy was discharged from the hospital and returned to the Asir region, where he was received by his uncles. Sayyaf Al-Shahrani, brother of the deceased father of Muhammad, said that his brother was driving his family and their furniture from Tabuk, heading to the south. The car overturned and caught fire while the family was on their way from the northern region of Tabuk to the southern border.

Sayyaf said his brother was assigned to defend the homeland at the southern border two years ago, and the tragedy occurred when he was taking his family to his workplace.