At least 45 people died after a bus carrying Umrah pilgrims collided with a diesel tanker near Madinah, sparking a major fire. The group had travelled from Hyderabad to Jeddah on November 9, with plans to return on November 23. 

Of the 54 travellers, four went separately by car to Madinah and another four stayed back in Makkah. The remaining 46 were on the bus that crashed about 25 km from Madinah around 1:30 am IST near Mufrihat, shortly after completing their pilgrimage rituals. Only one passenger survived and is receiving hospital treatment. 

The Indian Consulate in Jeddah has set up a 24x7 control room for families, with a toll-free helpline at 8002440003.

45 dead, 1 survives; list of victims: What we know so far

Tragic accident – A bus carrying Indian Umrah pilgrims collided with a diesel tanker near Madinah, Saudi Arabia, on Monday.

Casualties – At least 42 Indian pilgrims are feared dead.

Lone survivor – Mohd Abdul Shoiab, 24, from Hyderabad, survived and is receiving treatment in hospital.

Passenger details – The group had travelled from Hyderabad to Jeddah on November 9; many victims are from Hyderabad, Telangana.

Bus occupancy – Of the 54 travellers, four went separately by car to Madinah, another four stayed in Makkah, leaving 46 on the bus.

Time and location – The crash occurred around 1:30 am IST near Mufrihat, about 25 km from Madinah, as the bus journeyed from Makkah after completing pilgrimage rituals.

Leaders response – Indian Prime Minister Modi and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar expressed shock, offered condolences, and confirmed embassy and consulate support for families and the injured.

Telangana government action – Chief Minister Revanth Reddy instructed officials to coordinate with the MEA and Saudi authorities and established a control room in New Delhi for family assistance.

Families await news – Relatives in Hyderabad are anxiously seeking updates through authorities and travel operators.

Four family members killed

A relative of four of a family who died in the Saudi Arabia bus accident earlier on Monday said that they were informed by someone abroad about the incident and are trying to gather all possible details.

Muhammad Mansuf, the victims' relative told ANI, "Someone from there called us to inform us about what happened... Four members of my family - my elder brother Muhammad Manzoor, my mother Shohrat Begum, my sister-in-law Farheen Begum, and my niece Shaheen. We wanted to gather all the information as quickly as possible, and arrangements should also be made for us to go there."

Source : Gulf News