Dubai: What began as a day of joy for 13-year-old Badr bin Mohammed Al Halafi ended in unimaginable tragedy, as the young student lost his life in a school bus accident.
Badr had just completed his final exams and was keenly looking forward to celebrating his winter break, but in a sudden, heartbreaking turn of events, his family’s happiness turned to sorrow.
Badr’s father recounted the painful details of the accident, explaining that his son had been leaning against the bus door while returning home after his last afternoon exam. The door, not properly secured by the driver, suddenly swung open, causing Badr to fall from the moving bus. Tragically, he was run over by the very bus he had just moments before been riding, leading to his immediate death.
Speaking with a heavy heart, Badr’s father shared the memory of their last moments together. “Before heading to the bus on his last day of exams, he wore a scarf to keep warm and danced with joy at the thought of the upcoming vacation. He was so happy and said how excited he was about the break. I wished him well, saying, ‘May God bless you and bring you happiness.’ That was the last time I saw him,” the grieving father said.
The shock came shortly after the afternoon prayer when the bus driver called Badr’s father. “I rushed to the accident site, which was halfway between our home and school, only to find that my son had passed away instantly due to a head injury,” he added.
The family has resigned themselves to fate, accepting the heartbreaking loss. “We accept God’s will and know that death is inevitable. We were planning to spend the vacation together with family and loved ones, but that was not meant to be. Badr was cherished by all—his family, his classmates, and his teachers. We believe in God’s decree,” the father stated.
A funeral prayer for Badr was held on Wednesday afternoon at Prince Fahd bin Mohammed Mosque on Al Ha’ir Road in Riyadh, and he was laid to rest at the Mansouriya Cemetery, surrounded by family, friends, and school staff.
