At least 42 Indian Umrah pilgrims were killed near Medina after their bus collided with a diesel tanker in Saudi Arabia.
The crash occurred late Sunday night (November 16) in the Mufrihat area as the bus was traveling from Mecca to Medina. Most passengers are believed to have died on the spot after the vehicle erupted into flames.
Only one passenger—24-year-old Mohammed Abdul Shoaib—survived. Seated directly behind the driver, Shoaib was rescued with severe injuries and taken to a hospital. His condition remains unclear.
The Indian Consulate in Jeddah has opened an emergency control room and is contacting families of the victims. Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar expressed deep grief and said both the Riyadh Embassy and the Jeddah Consulate are providing full assistance to affected families.
According to the Hindustan Times, at least 16 of the dead were residents of Hyderabad’s Mallepally Bazaarghat neighborhood. Authorities have begun the process of identifying the victims and preparing to repatriate the bodies.