A bus travelling from Mecca to Medina in Saudi Arabia collided with a diesel tanker. 42 Indian Umrah pilgrims died in this accident.
Tragic news has emerged from Saudi Arabia. A bus travelling from Mecca to Medina was involved in a horrific accident on the night between Sunday and Monday. Near the Mufrrihat area, the bus collided with a diesel tanker, causing it to catch fire. Approximately 42 Indian Umrah pilgrims on board the bus were burnt to death in this fire. Among those killed were 20 women and 11 children.
It is being said that most of these passengers were from Hyderabad, Telangana. According to reports, only one person survived the accident on the bus; all other passengers died. The accident occurred around 11 PM Saudi time, which was approximately 1:30 AM Indian time. All the passengers on the bus were asleep at the time of the accident, which gave them no chance to escape, and they died on the spot.
India's External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar also confirmed this incident. In a statement, he said, "The Indian Embassy and Consulate are providing full assistance to the individuals and families affected by the accident." The External Affairs Minister shared a post on X, writing, "Deeply shocked at the accident involving Indian nationals in Medinah, Saudi Arabia. Our Embassy in Riyadh and Consulate in Jeddah are giving fullest support to Indian nationals and families affected by this accident. Sincere condolences to the bereaved families. Pray for the speedy recovery of the injured."
Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy has ordered senior state officials to ascertain the situation. He has also asked the officials to maintain constant contact with the Ministry of External Affairs and the Saudi Embassy. The state's Information Technology Minister, D. Sridhar Babu, also expressed his grief over the accident. He stated, "According to initial information, at least 16 of the deceased in the bus accident in Saudi Arabia were residents of Hyderabad. All of them were reportedly from the Bazarghat area of Malakpet." Minister D. Sridhar further added that the deceased have not yet been identified, and officials are confirming their identities.
Hyderabad MP and AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi, while expressing his sorrow over the incident, said that he spoke with Abu Mathen George, the Deputy Chief of Mission (DCM) at the Indian Embassy in Riyadh, who assured him that the matter would be investigated. Owaisi further stated that he has contacted two travel agencies in Hyderabad and shared the details of the passengers with the Riyadh Embassy and the Foreign Secretary. Owaisi has requested the central government, and especially the External Affairs Minister, to bring the bodies of those killed in the accident back to India.
Following the incident, the Indian Embassy has issued a helpline number in Jeddah. The Embassy shared a post stating, "In view of the tragic bus accident near Madinah, Saudi Arabia, involving Indian Umrah pilgrims, a 24×7 Control Room has been set up in the Consulate General of India, Jeddah. The contact details of the Helpline are 8002440003." It has been reported that most of the deceased are from Telangana. Consequently, the Telangana government has also set up a control room in the secretariat. This will help the relatives of the victims gather information about their loved ones. Relatives can obtain information by contacting 79979-59754 and 99129-19545.
Ever since the news of this accident broke, dozens of relatives of the pilgrims have started arriving at the offices of travel agencies in Hyderabad. All are anxious to know about the safety of their family members. Mufti Asifullah, a resident of Hyderabad, said, "As soon as we received information about the accident, we contacted Al Makkah Tours and Travels. AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi has spoken to me, and we request the government to grant us permission to travel to Saudi Arabia. Seven members of my family have gone to Saudi Arabia." Another resident, Mohammed Mohsin, said, "Seven members of my family went to Saudi Arabia last week. I request the government to bring the bodies of the deceased back to India as soon as possible."