+The Telangana Haj Committee on Monday confirmed that all 45 victims of the devastating bus accident in Saudi Arabia were pilgrims from Hyderabad, clearing earlier confusion surrounding the casualty figures. Officials stated that complete details of the deceased will be released soon.
The pilgrims, who were travelling through four different tour operators, had completed their Mecca rituals and were heading to Medina when their bus collided with a diesel tanker at Mufrihat, about 25 km from Medina. The impact triggered a massive fire that left no survivors among the 45 passengers onboard.
According to the Haj Committee, the victims included 17 men and 28 women from localities such as Mallepally, Bazaarghat, and Asifnagar in Hyderabad.
Pilgrimage Details
Hyderabad City Police reported that the group originally consisted of 54 pilgrims who left for Jeddah on November 9 for a tour scheduled until November 23. Among them:
Four travelled separately to Medina by car,
Four stayed back in Mecca,
Forty-six continued their journey to Medina by bus.
At the time of the accident, 45 pilgrims were on board. Only one man, Abdul Shoaib, survived and is undergoing treatment at a local hospital, Police Commissioner V.C. Sajjanar said.
The collision occurred at around 1:30 a.m. IST, causing an immediate blaze that engulfed the bus. Officials noted that many passengers were asleep, contributing to the high death toll.
The Indian Embassy in Jeddah has set up a dedicated control room to coordinate assistance, while rescue and identification efforts continue.
Leaders Condemn Tragedy
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed profound grief and extended condolences to the families of the victims. He assured that the Embassy in Riyadh and the Consulate in Jeddah were providing all necessary support in coordination with Saudi authorities. Leaders and community representatives across India described the incident as one of the most tragic accidents involving Indian pilgrims in recent history.
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