At least 42 may have died when a bus full of Indian Umrah travellers hit a diesel tanker near Medina on Monday (Nov 17) morning, local media in Saudi Arabia reported.
Most of the victims of the horrific accident are believed to be Indian citizens, some reportedly from Hyderabad. The Telangana government said it has reached out to the Indian Embassy in Riyadh for information. In a brief statement, officials confirmed that Chief Minister Revanth Reddy has asked authorities in New Delhi to stay in close contact with embassy staff and track developments.
Reports suggest that the accident occurred near 1:30 am IST (approximately 11 pm, November 16 local time) in Mufrihat. The vehicle carrying pilgrims who had finished their Umrah pilgrimage was travelling from Mecca to Madinah. As per MediaOne, there were 43 people on the bus—but just one made it through. The survivor has been shifted to a medical centre. Maktoob Media reported that around 20 women, along with 11 kids, were on the bus. Since most seemed to be sleeping during the crash, they barely had a chance to react after flames spread.
Local officials estimate that 42 people have died in the tragic crash, but have not yet released an official figure and said they were checking for any additional survivors.
CGI Jeddah launches 24×7 control room
The Consulate General of India, in a social media post, has set up a 24×7 Control Room to aid Indians in Saudi Arabia. CGI Jeddah has also shared a toll-free helpline number.
In an official statement, the state government confirmed that Chief Minister Revanth Reddy has alerted officials in New Delhi and instructed them to coordinate closely with embassy authorities. Telangana Chief Secretary in Hyderabad, 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 as per the CMO. (WION)