Hyderabad, Nov 17: At least 42 Indian Umrah pilgrims from Hyderabad are feared dead after a passenger bus travelling from Mecca to Medina collided with a diesel tanker in Saudi Arabia early Monday, according to initial reports from local media. The crash was reported around 1.30 am IST in the Mufrihat area, with officials confirming that only one of the 43 passengers survived and is undergoing treatment at a hospital.
Sources said the pilgrims were part of a Hyderabad-based group that included women and children. Efforts are underway to establish the identities of the victims as authorities in India and Saudi Arabia coordinate emergency response.
Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy said he was “deeply shocked” by the reports and directed Chief Secretary K Ramakrishna Rao and DGP Shivadhar Reddy to “immediately ascertain details of the victims and verify how many belong to Telangana.” He instructed officials to work closely with the Ministry of External Affairs and the Saudi Embassy to expedite assistance. A control room has been set up at the State Secretariat, and Resident Commissioner Gaurav Uppal has been placed on alert.
Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi said he spoke with Abu Mathen George, Deputy Chief of Mission at the Indian Embassy in Riyadh, who informed him that verification was in progress. “I have shared the passenger details received from two Hyderabad travel agencies with the Embassy and the Foreign Secretary,” Owaisi said, noting that clarity on the final toll would emerge after official confirmation from Saudi authorities.
The parliamentarian urged the Union Government and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to ensure the bodies are brought back to India without delay and that the lone survivor receives comprehensive medical support in Saudi Arabia.
Authorities in both countries continued to work through Monday evening to piece together the circumstances of the crash.
