42 Indians killed in bus-tanker collision in Saudi Arabia

At least 42 people were killed when a diesel tanker collided with a bus carrying Umrah pilgrims near Medina in Saudi Arabia. According to local media reports, most of the dead were Indian nationals. According to a report by Indian media NDTV, the bus was travelling from Mecca to Medina when the accident occurred in the Mufrihat area. Khaleej Times reported that most of the passengers had come from Hyderabad in the Indian state of Telangana.
The group of pilgrims was returning to Medina after performing Umrah. Many passengers were sleeping in the bus at the time of the accident, so there was little chance of them escaping if the bus caught fire after the collision, Gulf News reported. According to reports, at least 11 women and 10 children may be among the dead. However, authorities are still verifying the exact number. Rescue workers said that the bus was completely burnt in the fire, making it very difficult to identify the bodies. One person, Mohammed Abdul Shoaib, is reported to have survived the incident, but there is no confirmation on his condition.
The Telangana government said it is in touch with the Indian embassy in Riyadh. Chief Minister Revanth Reddy has directed to increase coordination with the concerned officials in Delhi. The state’s Resident Commissioner has been tasked with finding out how many Telangana citizens were affected in the accident and a control room has been opened at the state secretariat. Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi said that there were a total of 42 Umrah passengers in the bus and the situation was dire after the fire broke out. He said he is in touch with Abu Mathen George, Deputy Chief of Mission of the Indian Embassy in Riyadh.
The report said that around 16 passengers travelling through two Hyderabad-based companies – Al-Mina Hajj and Umrah Travels – lost their lives in the tragic incident. Owaisi has requested the central government to immediately repatriate the bodies of the deceased and provide proper treatment to the injured.
Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar expressed deep grief and said that the accident of Indian nationals in Medina is very unfortunate. He posted on ‘X’, writing, “The Indian Embassy in Riyadh and the Consulate in Jeddah are making maximum efforts to assist the affected Indian nationals and their families. Deepest condolences to the families of the deceased. Wishing the injured a speedy recovery.”