At least 42 Indian Umrah pilgrims, including 16 from Hyderabad in Telangana, are feared dead after a passenger bus carrying devotees from Mecca to Madinah collided with a diesel tanker early Monday morning, the state government reported.
The accident took place around 1:30 a.m. IST at Mufrihat, roughly 160 km from Madinah. The bus had 43 passengers on board, and initial reports indicate only one survivor, while the rest were tragically charred to death at the scene.
Telangana's IT minister, D Sridhar Babu, informed the press in Hyderabad that at least 16 individuals from Hyderabad have died. These individuals hail from the Bazarghat area in Mallepalli, Hyderabad. Efforts are underway to confirm the details of the deceased, he stated.
The pilgrims who included 20 women and 11 children had left Hyderabad on November 9 after completing their Umrah rituals in Mecca and were travelling toward Madinah when the accident occurred. Saudi Civil Defence and police were the first to reach the crash site, with Indian officials and Umrah agency representatives later joining recovery efforts and coordinating information for families.
Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi said he had spoken to Abu Mathen George, Deputy Chief of Mission at the Indian Embassy in Riyadh, who assured him that officials were gathering information. Owaisi added that he had contacted two Hyderabad-based travel agencies and shared passenger details with the Riyadh Embassy and the foreign secretary.
“I request the Union Government, especially EAM Dr S. Jaishankar, to bring the bodies back to India and, if anyone is injured, ensure that they receive proper medical treatment,” he said.