At least 42 Indian Umrah pilgrims, many of them reportedly from Hyderabad, are feared dead after a bus travelling from Mecca to Madinah collided with a diesel tanker near Mufrihat in Saudi Arabia early Monday.
The impact of the crash was severe, leaving multiple passengers dead and several others injured, according to initial reports. Emergency teams and local authorities rushed to the spot to carry out rescue and relief operations. Officials are still verifying the exact number of casualties and identifying the victims.
Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy took immediate note of the incident and directed Chief Secretary K Ramakrishna Rao and DGP B Shivadhar Reddy to urgently collect details.
The state government is coordinating with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and the Saudi Embassy to assist affected families. A control room has been set up at the Telangana Secretariat, with helplines 79979 59754 and 99129 19545 for relatives seeking information.
Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi expressed grief over the tragedy. Speaking to ANI, he said he had contacted two Hyderabad-based travel agencies and shared passengers' details with the Indian Embassy in Riyadh. He also spoke to Abu Mathen George, Deputy Chief of Mission (DCM), who informed him that local authorities are gathering information and will update the mission soon.
“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.
Further updates are awaited as authorities continue verification and coordinate relief measures.
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