 "Muslims perform Umrah on the 27th day of the holy month of Ramadan in the Grand Mosque in the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, March 27, 2025. File Photo/Reuters")
A tragedy struck Indian pilgrims in Saudi Arabia on early Monday (November 17) when their bus reportedly collided with a diesel tanker. About 45 people are feared dead in the mishap, with most of them from Telangana.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy have expressed anguish over the horrific accident. The Consulate General of India in Jeddah has set up a 24/7 control room to assist affected families.
Let’s take a closer look.
What happened?
A bus carrying Indian Umrah pilgrims caught fire after colliding with a diesel tanker near Mufrihat in Saudi Arabia early Monday. As per The Hindu’s official sources, there were 46 passengers on the ill-fated bus.
The accident took place around 1:30 am IST when the bus was on its way from Mecca to Medina, as per media reports.
At least 16 of the more than 40 Indian Umrah pilgrims, who are feared dead in the bus accident, were from Hyderabad, reported Hindustan Times.
A massive fire broke out during the collision when many passengers were reportedly asleep, leaving little time to escape.
Emergency teams and local authorities rushed to the spot for rescue and relief operations.
Unofficial sources told Gulf News that 11 women and 10 children may be among the casualties. However, authorities are still verifying these figures.
As per News18, some of the Indian victims were Abdul Mohammed, Mohammed Moulana, Sohail Mohammed, Mastan Mohammed, Parveen Begum, Zakiya Begum, Shoukat Begum, Farheen Begum, Zaheen Begum, Mohammed Manzoor, Mohammed Ali and Ghousiya Begum.
Mohammad Abdul Shoeb, 24, is reportedly the lone survivor of the bus crash and is currently undergoing treatment in the hospital. He was sitting near the driver’s seat when the mishap occurred.
A video, purportedly taken close to the crash site, shows a man narrating the ordeal on a phone call.
“Information dena ye hai ke, Mecca se Medina ko bus aa rahi thi bhai… Wo bus poori jal gayi. Usme se ek aadmi, ek driver bach gaya bhai. Munawwar bol ke naam bata raha. Hyderabad ke log hai usme. (I want to inform you that a bus travelling from Mecca to Medina has caught fire. Only one man, a driver, survived. He is identifying himself as Munawwar. People from Hyderabad were on board),” the caller is heard saying, as per NDTV.
“Agar koi bhi hai, apne gharo ko maloom kar lo bhai thoda. Me bhi abhi abhi bus ko dekha. Me takleef bardasht nahi ho rahi bhai. Me video nikala. Ek aadmi merko number diya. Me phone kar ke logo ko itelah kar raha hu. (Please check with your families. I just saw the bus. I can’t bear the pain. I recorded the accident on camera. A man gave me a number, and I am calling people to inform them,” he added.
Hundreds of pilgrims from Hyderabad visit Saudi Arabia every year to perform umrah (pilgrimage). Many travel agencies offer umrah packages starting from Rs 55,000 per person for a seven-day trip, which includes visits to Mecca, Madina and some sightseeing, reported Indian Express.
Indian consulate sets up control room
The Consulate General of India, Jeddah, has established a control room to assist the families of the victims of the bus accident in Saudi Arabia.
The helpline numbers are:
8002440003 (Toll free)
0122614093
0126614276
0556122301 (WhatsApp)
PM Modi expressed grief over the horrific accident and offered all “possible assistance”.
“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,” he posted on X.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar assured support to the victims and their families.
“Deeply shocked at the accident involving Indian nationals in Medinah,
Saudi Arabia
. Our Embassy in Riyadh and Consulate in Jeddah are giving fullest support to Indian nationals and families affected by this accident,” he wrote on X.
“Sincere condolences to the bereaved families. Pray for the speedy recovery of those injured,” the EAM added.
The Resident Commissioner and the Coordination Secretary in New Delhi has been instructed to stay in constant touch with the MEA.
Reactions to the tragedy
Telangana CM A Revanth Reddy expressed “deep sorrow” over the bus accident in Saudi Arabia involving Indian pilgrims.
A statement from the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) said, “The accident took place while the bus was travelling from Mecca to Medina, and some of the pilgrims are from Hyderabad.”
Reddy said a control room has also been set up at Telangana Bhavan, New Delhi.
Hyderabad’s Nampally MLA Mohammad Majid Hussain said he is in direct contact with the bereaved families in Hyderabad and is in touch with higher officials.
Hyderabad Lok Sabha MP and AIMIM chief, Asaduddin Owaisi, expressed grief over the bus accident and urged the Centre to bring back the bodies.
Owaisi told ANI that he spoke to Abu Mathen George, Deputy Chief of Mission at the Indian Embassy in Riyadh, and also got in touch with two Hyderabad-based travel agencies. He said he shared the passengers’ details with the Riyadh Embassy and the Foreign Secretary.
“I request the Union Government, especially EAM S Jaishankar, to bring the bodies back to India and, if anyone is injured, ensure that they receive proper medical treatment,” the AIMIM MP said.
Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) Working President KT Rama Rao (KTR) called on the Telangana government to “immediately take steps to ensure that those injured in the incident, where the bus collided with a diesel tanker while traveling from Mecca to Medina, receive better treatment.”
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge also condoled the casualties and urged the Centre to “closely coordinate” with state authorities. “Deeply saddened by the heart-wrenching tragedy near Medinah, Saudi Arabia involving several Indian nationals. My deepest condolences to the bereaved families, and prayers for the swift recovery of the injured,” he said in a post on X.
“The Union Government, through the @MEAIndia should closely coordinate with state authorities and the families of the victims here in India to provide succour and relief, in this difficult time,” he said.
Kharge said he has asked the Telangana CM to provide all possible assistance to the families of the victims.
Victims’ kin seek govt help
The families of the victims back home are in panic as they await details about their loved ones.
A victim’s kin told ANI, “A batch of 45-46 members went to Saudi Arabia from Hyderabad…The bus carrying them caught fire and as soon as we received information we contacted Al Makkah Tours & Travels. AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi spoke with me…We urge the government to allow us to go to Saudi Arabia. Seven members of my family went to Saudi Arabia…”
Dozens of relatives of Indian pilgrims rushed to the travel agency’s office in Hyderabad after hearing about the mishap in Saudi Arabia, reported NDTV.
According to the victims’ relatives, many passengers were part of small local groups and several belonged to the same extended families.
With inputs from agencies