New Dehli , 17 Nov,: At least 42 Indian Umrah pilgrims most are from Hyderabad died after a bus travelling from Mecca to Madinah collided with a diesel tanker near Mufrihat in Saudi Arabia early Monday.
The impact of the crash was severe, leaving multiple passengers dead and several others injured, according to initial reports.
Emergency teams and local authorities rushed to the spot to carry out rescue and relief operations. Officials are still verifying the exact number of casualties and identifying the victims.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said he was “deeply shocked” by the accident. In a message on X, he stated that the Indian Embassy in Riyadh and the Consulate in Jeddah were providing the “fullest support” to affected nationals and their families. He offered sincere condolences to the bereaved families and prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured.
Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy expressed shock over the horrific accident. He instructed Chief Secretary K Ramakrishna Rao and DGP B Shivadhar Reddy to urgently gather details of the victims and ascertain how many passengers from Telangana were on board.
The state government is coordinating with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and the Saudi Embassy to assist affected families. A control room has been set up at the Telangana Secretariat, with helplines 79979 59754 and 99129 19545 for relatives seeking information.
Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi expressed grief over the tragedy. Speaking to ANI, he said he had contacted two Hyderabad-based travel agencies and shared passengers’ details with the Indian Embassy in Riyadh. He also spoke to Abu Mathen George, Deputy Chief of Mission (DCM), who informed him that local authorities are gathering information and will update the mission soon.
Further updates are awaited as authorities continue verification and coordinate relief measures.
