43 Indian pilgrims among 45 killed in deadly bus-tanker collision near Madinah

NEW new delhi: 43 native american pilgrims, including women and children, were among 45 people killed when a jalopy collided with a fire tanker near Madinah in Saudi Arabia early on Monday, people familiar with the matter said.The pilgrims, mainly from the Hyderabad region, were travelling from Mecca to Madinah in a bus when the accident occurred at around 1:30 am on Monday, the people said on condition of anonymity. They were part of a group of 54 Indians who had gone to Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah, or the pilgrimage outside the Haj season.Prime Minister Narendra Modi and external affairs minister S Jaishankar expressed sorrow and shock at the loss of lives. “Deeply saddened by the accident in Medinah involving Indian nationals. My thoughts are with the families who have lost their loved ones,” Modi said on social media.“I pray for the swift recovery of all those injured. Our Embassy in Riyadh and Consulate in Jeddah are providing all possible assistance. Our officials are also in close contact with Saudi Arabian authorities,” he said.There was no official word from the Indian side on fatalities. The people cited above confirmed 45 deaths, including 43 Indian nationals and two Saudi citizens who were acting as facilitators for the group. Gulf News quoted its sources as saying that 11 women and 10 children could be among the victims.Jaishankar expressed shock at the incident and said Indian officials in Saudi Arabia were providing support to the affected Indian nationals and their families.“Deeply shocked at the accident involving Indian nationals in Medinah, Saudi Arabia. Our Embassy in Riyadh and Consulate in Jeddah are giving fullest support to Indian nationals and families affected by this accident,” he said on social media. “Sincere condolences to the bereaved families. Pray for the speedy recovery of those injured.”The collision between the bus and the fuel tanker triggered a massive fire, according to media reports. There were more than 30 women and children on the bus when the accident occurred at Mufrihat, approximately 160 km from Madinah, according to the reports. The pilgrims were on their way to Madinah after completing rituals in Mecca.“Rescue teams described the scene as devastating, with the bus completely gutted, making victim identification extremely challenging,” Gulf News reported.Some members of the 54-strong group of Indian pilgrims had travelled separately to Madinah, and a few others had stayed back in Mecca.AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi, the MP for Hyderabad, appealed to the government to ensure the speedy repatriation of the bodies and treatment of the injured.Telangana chief minister A Revanth Reddy expressed shock at the incident and directed civilian and police officials to ascertain how many residents of the state were involved in the accident. He also directed them to liaise with the external affairs ministry and the Saudi Arabian embassy in New Delhi.The Indian consulate in Jeddah said a 24/7 control room has been set up for the relatives of the victims. The numbers for the control room are 8002440003 (toll-free), 0122614093, 0126614276, and ‪+966556122301‬ (WhatsApp).