Saudi Arabia bus crash prompts Telangana government to set up emergency helplines.
A tragic accident in Saudi Arabia has resulted in at least 42 Indian Umrah pilgrims being feared dead after the bus carrying them collided with a diesel tanker near Mufrihat, located between Badr and Medina. The crash took place early Monday at around 1:30 am according to Indian time.
The bus was travelling from Mecca to Medina and had around 43 passengers on board. A large number of them were residents of Hyderabad in Telangana. Initial updates suggest that only one person may have survived the accident.
A massive blaze engulfed the bus after the impact, as the tanker was carrying diesel. Rescue officials in Saudi Arabia reported that the vehicle was completely burned, making identification of the victims extremely difficult.
Women and Children Believed to Be Among Victims
Several early reports indicate that many women and children were on the ill-fated bus. Some sources mention around 20 women and 11 children, while others have quoted figures of 11 women and 10 children. Authorities are still in the process of verifying exact details because of the extent of the damage caused by the fire.
The verification and identification process is expected to take time due to the condition in which the bus was found.
Telangana Government Sets Up Helplines for Families
Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy expressed deep sorrow over the tragedy and directed senior officials, including Chief Secretary K. Ramakrishna Rao and DGP B. Shivadhar Reddy, to collect complete information about passengers from the state.
A help desk has been set up at the Telangana Secretariat so families can receive official updates.
Helpline Numbers:
79979 59754
99129 19545
The state administration is working in coordination with the Ministry of External Affairs and the Saudi authorities to track details, support families, and understand the next steps regarding identification and repatriation.
Indian Embassy Coordinates With Saudi Authorities
The Indian Embassy in Riyadh has begun gathering detailed information about the accident. Officials are working closely with Saudi agencies involved in rescue and recovery operations.
Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi has shared passenger details with the Embassy and the Foreign Secretary. He has urged the central government, including External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar, to facilitate the return of the victims’ bodies and ensure proper care for any surviving individual.
Saudi Rescue Teams Continue Operations at the Crash Site
Saudi Civil Defense teams, police units, and medical responders reached the location soon after the accident. The cause of the collision has not yet been determined. Investigators are examining possibilities such as speeding, technical failure, or other contributing factors.
Recovery and identification efforts are ongoing, and officials expect the process to take several hours or even days.
A Developing Situation
Families of the pilgrims in India are waiting anxiously for confirmed information. The scale of the destruction and the extremely low number of survivors make this one of the most distressing incidents involving Indian Umrah travellers in recent times. Further official updates will be shared as verification progresses.
