A devastating road accident in Saudi Arabia has claimed the lives of 42 Indian Umrah pilgrims, all of whom were confirmed by Hyderabad immigration officials to be from the city. The tragedy occurred when the bus carrying the pilgrims collided with a diesel tanker and subsequently caught fire on a highway near Madinah.
The bus, which had 43 passengers on board, was reportedly traveling between Badr and Madinah when the crash happened around 1:30 am IST at Mufrahath. With most passengers, including an estimated 20 women and 11 children, asleep at the time, the catastrophic fire left them little chance to escape, resulting in the high casualty count. Only one person is reported to have survived the collision.
Official Response and Relief Measures
The tragic news prompted immediate action from both the central and state governments:
External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar expressed profound shock, confirming that the Indian Embassy in Riyadh and the Consulate in Jeddah are providing “fullest support” to the victims’ families and coordinating relief efforts.
The Consulate General of India, Jeddah, has activated a 24×7 control room to assist the families. The toll-free number for assistance is 8002440003.
Telangana Chief Minister Shri Revanth Reddy directed the Chief Secretary and DGP to obtain complete details and contact officials at the Ministry of External Affairs and the Saudi Embassy to ensure immediate relief measures.
The Telangana government has also established a control room at the Secretariat to monitor the situation and provide information to families, reachable on the numbers +91 79979 59754 and +91 99129 19545. (PTI)
For more details: Navamalayalam.com
