At least 45 Indians dead after bus collides with diesel tanker near Medina in Saudi Arabia

At least 45 Indians were charred to death after a bus carrying Umrah pilgrims collided with a diesel tanker near Medina, according to local media in Saudi Arabia on Monday. The incident happened when the bus was travelling from Mecca to Medina at 1:20 am IST on Monday (November 17) while most passengers were asleep.

Majority of these victims were reportedly from Hyderabad.

Hyderabad Police Commissioner VC Sajjanar said a total of 54 people travelled to Jeddah from here on November 9. They were scheduled to return on November 23.

Of the 54, four people travelled separately by car to Medina on Sunday, while another four stayed back in Mecca.

According to the official, 46 people were travelling in the ill-fated bus, which collided with an oil tanker about 25 km from Madina. Only one person survived the accident and is currently undergoing treatment at a hospital.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, “Deeply saddened by the accident in Medinah involving Indian nationals. My thoughts are with the families who have lost their loved ones. I pray for the swift recovery of all those injured. Our Embassy in Riyadh and Consulate in Jeddah are providing all possible assistance. Our officials are also in close contact with Saudi Arabian authorities.”

External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar expressed shock over the incident. “Our Embassy in Riyadh and Consulate in Jeddah are giving the fullest support to Indian nationals and families affected by this accident. Sincere condolences to the bereaved families. Pray for the speedy recovery of those injured,” he posted on X.

Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy has expressed condolences over the tragic accident. He has immediately ordered the Chief Secretary and DGP to find out the full details. He asked how many people lived in Telangana. He advised them to speak with officials from the Central Ministry of External Affairs and the Saudi Embassy. He ordered that, if necessary, they should immediately enter the field to provide appropriate relief efforts. With the CM’s orders, CS Ramakrishna Rao alerted the Resident Commissioner Gaurav Uppal, who is in Delhi. He ordered to collect details on how many people belonging to our state are in the accident and provide them immediately. A control room was set up in the Secretariat.

The government provided phone numbers of the Control Room set up in the Secretariat in Hyderabad to provide information to the families of those involved in the accident. They are +91 79979 59754 and +91 99129 19545.

Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi expressed grief over the accident. Owaisi said that he had contacted two Hyderabad-based travel agencies and shared the passengers’ information with the Riyadh Embassy. He also spoke to Abu Mathen George, Deputy Chief of Mission (DCM) at the Indian Embassy in Riyadh, ​​who told him that they are gathering information from local authorities and would update him soon.

A 24×7 Control Room has been set up in Consulate General of India, Jeddah. The contact details of the Helpline are as under:

8002440003 (Toll free)
0122614093
0126614276
0556122301 (WhatsApp)