A tragic incident involving a collision between a bus carrying Indian pilgrims and a diesel tanker near the holy city of Medina in Saudi Arabia has left many feared dead, according to Indian officials.
The bus, which had 46 passengers on board, was en route from Mecca to Medina when the accident occurred on a highway, as stated by Gaurav Uppal, a senior official from Telangana state, in a statement to The Associated Press.
<p"Approximately 45 individuals from Telangana are believed to have lost their lives in the accident, with one person sustaining injuries," mentioned Uppal, who is based in New Delhi and actively involved in coordinating rescue operations with Indian authorities in Saudi Arabia.
Outside the Fly Zone travel agency office in Hyderabad, the state capital of Telangana, relatives of the victims gathered seeking information about their loved ones.
Mohammed Tehseen shared that seven members of his family were on the bus, with all but one tragically losing their lives. The lone survivor, who was injured, managed to inform the family about the incident afterward,” he revealed.
Upon request for comment, Saudi officials did not provide an immediate response.
Condolences from Indian Leaders
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar, and Telangana’s top-elected official, Revanth Reddy, extended their condolences to the bereaved families.
In a statement, Jaishankar mentioned that the Indian Embassy in Riyadh and the consulate in Jeddah were extending assistance to the victims’ relatives.
Vishwanath Channappa Sajjanar, the police chief of Hyderabad, indicated that initial reports suggested at least 18 of the deceased were from the city. He highlighted that the majority of the victims came from two families and identified the injured passenger as Mohammed Shoaib.
“I have had discussions with the Consul General of India to gather information,” stated Sajjanar during a press briefing. “The bus had 46 passengers, and one individual survived with injuries.”
Sajjanar also mentioned that the police were in communication with the travel agency responsible for facilitating the pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia for the victims.
