Published Jul 22, 2026 | 1:12 PM ⚊ Updated Jul 22, 2026 | 1:12 PM
Hyderabad origin family meets with road accident in Nevada. (Supplied)
Synopsis: Nazia Salma (45), her 19-year-old daughter Hafeza Neha Shaik, and her 14-year-old son Hafez Omer died in the crash. Salma’s husband, Shaik Abdul Naveed, and the couple’s seven-year-old daughter, Khatija Shaik, survived with serious injuries and are currently being treated at a hospital.
Three people from a Hyderabad-origin family living in San Francisco were killed in a road accident in Elko County, Nevada, in the early hours of Monday, 20 July.
Nazia Salma (45), her 19-year-old daughter Hafeza Neha Shaik, and her 14-year-old son Hafez Omer died in the crash. Salma’s husband, Shaik Abdul Naveed, and the couple’s seven-year-old daughter, Khatija Shaik, survived with serious injuries and are currently being treated at a hospital.
The family originally belongs to Saidabad in Hyderabad’s Old City and had moved to the US roughly a decade ago. Naveed had earlier worked as a scientist at Dr Reddy’s Laboratories and GVK BIO before moving abroad for a Doctorate. He is currently the director of a Pharma company in the US and has been living in Union City, San Francisco Bay Area.
According to Naveed’s father, Shaik Abdul Sayeed, he grew worried on Tuesday morning after repeated attempts to reach his son went unanswered. He said local police eventually took the call and informed the family that the car had collided with another vehicle. A passenger in the other car was also declared dead.
AIMIM’s Yakutpura MLA, Jaffar Hussain Meraj, visited the grieving family home in Vani Nagar, Saidabad. He conveyed condolences on behalf of the party and assured the family of support, including legal help and coordination with authorities and the Indian Embassy. Majlis Bachao Tahreek leader Amjed Ullah Khan also met the family and appealed for prompt government assistance.
Separately, Sayeed appealed to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar for emergency visas for himself, his wife and another son, so they could travel to the US to be with the injured survivors and help complete the necessary formalities.
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(With inputs from Sreshta Ladegaam)
