SAUDI ARABIA: A devastating road accident on Monday has left dozens of Indian Umrah pilgrims feared dead after their bus collided with a diesel tanker and burst into flames on the highway between Mecca and Medina.
Saudi authorities said the crash occurred in the Mufarahat area, around 160 km from Medina, in the early hours of Monday. The vehicle was carrying 42 pilgrims—mostly from Hyderabad in India—who were travelling from Mecca after completing their Umrah rituals. Many of them were believed to be asleep when the bus hit a stationary diesel tanker, triggering a massive fire that engulfed the vehicle.
Indian media reports say there may be only one survivor.
India’s External Affairs Minister, Dr S. Jaishankar, said he was “deeply shocked” by the incident, adding that Indian missions in Riyadh and Jeddah were providing “the fullest support” to families of the victims. The Consulate General of India in Jeddah and the Telangana state government have opened helplines and control rooms to assist relatives seeking information.
Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy ordered officials to coordinate with the Ministry of External Affairs and the Saudi Embassy, urging immediate relief measures. Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi told ANI that he was in contact with senior Indian diplomats in Riyadh, who were gathering details. He called on the Indian government to ensure the repatriation of bodies and medical support for the injured.
Saudi authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of the crash.
