At least 42 people were burnt to death after a bus carrying Umrah pilgrims collided with a diesel tanker near Madinah in Saudi Arabia, local media reported on Monday. Most of the victims are believed to be Indian nationals, with several reportedly hailing from Hyderabad.
Telangana’s Information Technology Minister, D. Sridhar Babu, said preliminary information suggests that at least 16 of those who died were residents of Hyderabad. All are thought to be from the Bazarghat locality in Mallepalli, though officials are still working to confirm the identities.
According to the initial briefing received by the state government, the crash occurred around 1.30 am IST in Mufrihat, approximately 160 kilometres from Madinah. The bus was carrying 43 passengers; only one individual is believed to have survived the blaze.
Relatives of the victims said the group had departed from Hyderabad on 9 November. They were returning to Madinah after performing Umrah in Mecca when their vehicle met with the fatal accident. The trip had been arranged through Al Meena and Al Mecca Travels in Nampally.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar expressed deep sorrow over the tragedy, describing himself as “deeply shocked”. He said the Indian Embassy in Riyadh and the Consulate in Jeddah were providing full assistance to the affected families. He extended his condolences and prayed for the swift recovery of any injured passengers.
The Consulate General of India in Jeddah has set up a 24×7 helpline for families seeking information. In a post on X, the mission announced a toll-free number, 8002440003, for emergency support related to the accident.
The Telangana government has established contact with Indian authorities in Riyadh and instructed officials to coordinate closely with the Ministry of External Affairs and the Saudi Embassy to expedite relief efforts. Chief Minister Revanth Reddy termed the incident “horrific” and directed Chief Secretary K. Ramakrishna Rao and DGP Shivadhar Reddy to immediately gather detailed information on the victims, particularly those from Telangana.
The Chief Secretary has also alerted Resident Commissioner Gaurav Uppal in New Delhi and asked him to compile data on affected residents. A control room has been set up at the State Secretariat to assist families and centralise communication.
AIMIM chief and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi called for urgent intervention from the Centre. He said he had spoken to Abu Mathen George, Deputy Chief of Mission at the Indian Embassy in Riyadh, who assured him that efforts were underway to verify details. Owaisi said he had also contacted two Hyderabad-based travel agencies and shared passenger information with Indian authorities.
Urging swift action, Owaisi appealed to the External Affairs Minister to ensure that the bodies are repatriated to India at the earliest and that any survivors receive proper medical care in Saudi Arabia.
