Indian pilgrims' bus crashes in Saudi Arabia; 45 killed, says Hyderabad top cop

The Telangana government said it is in contact with the Indian Embassy in Riyadh after reports that at least 45 Indian Umrah pilgrims were killed. | India News At least 45 people were charred to death after a bus carrying Umrah pilgrims collided with a diesel tanker near Madinah, according to local media in Saudi Arabia on Monday. The victims are believed to be Indian nationals, with several reportedly from Hyderabad. Preliminary inputs indicate that at least 16 of those killed in the Saudi bus mishap were Hyderabad residents, Telangana information technology minister D Sridhar Babu said. He added that they were all reportedly from the Bazarghat area of Mallepalli, and officials are still verifying the identities of the deceased. Hyderabad Police Commissioner VC Sajjanar said, “45 people have died, and there is only one survivor who is currently in the hospital.” According to initial reports received by the state government, the accident took place around 1.30 am IST in Mufrihat, roughly 160 km from Madinah. Saudi Arabia bus tanker crash LIVE updates The group had left Hyderabad on November 9 and was returning to Madinah after offering Umrah prayers in Mecca when the tragedy struck, a relative of the victims said. They had travelled through Al Meena and Al Mecca Travels, Nampally. Police Commissioner Sajjanar provided a detailed account of the group’s movements, he said their travel schedule ran from November 9 to 23, with “a total of 54 members” flying from Hyderabad to Jeddah on November 9. Four of them proceeded to Madinah by car, while another four “stayed back in Mecca.” The remaining 46 pilgrims continued their journey by bus. Sajjanar said the accident occurred about 25 kilometres from Madinah when the bus collided with an oil tanker. He added that only one passenger, “Mohammad Abdul Suyaib,” survived and is being treated in the ICU at the Saudi German Hospital. The bodies of the deceased have been shifted to a local hospital, he said. The Telangana government said it is in contact with the Indian Embassy in Riyadh. Officials have been instructed to coordinate with the External Affairs Ministry and the Saudi Embassy for urgent relief measures. Expressing deep shock over the “horrific accident involving a bus carrying Indian pilgrims in Saudi Arabia”, chief minister Revanth Reddy directed chief secretary K Ramakrishna Rao and DGP Shivadhar Reddy to immediately gather details of the victims and ascertain how many people from Telangana were on board. Meanwhile, the chief secretary alerted Resident Commissioner Gaurav Uppal in Delhi and asked him to collect the details of Telangana residents involved. A control room has also been set up at the State Secretariat to assist families and consolidate information. External affairs minister S Jaishankar said he was “deeply shocked” by the accident involving Indian nationals in Madinah, adding that the Indian Embassy in Riyadh and the Consulate in Jeddah were extending the “fullest support” to those affected and their families. He offered his “sincere condolences to the bereaved families” and said he prayed for the “speedy recovery of those injured.” The Indian Embassy in Jeddah announced a helpline number for families of those affected by the accident. In a post on X, the mission said, “In view of a tragic bus accident near Madina, Saudi Arabia, involving Indian Umrah pilgrims, a 24x7 Control Room has been set up in Consulate General of India, Jeddah. The contact details of the Helpline are as under: Toll free number- 8002440003.” In a post on X, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the Indian Embassy in Riyadh and the Consulate in Jeddah are extending all possible assistance, adding that Indian officials are in close touch with Saudi authorities. AIMIM chief and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi on Monday sought immediate action from the Centre Owaisi said he had spoken to Abu Mathen George, deputy chief of Mission at the Indian Embassy in Riyadh, who “assured me that they are gathering information about the matter.” He added that he had also contacted two Hyderabad-based travel agencies and Urging the Centre to intervene, Owaisi said, “I request the Union Government, especially EAM Dr S Jaishankar, to bring the bodies back to India and, if anyone is injured, ensure that they receive proper medical treatment.”