AhlulBayt News Agency: Forty-five Indian pilgrims were killed when the bus they were traveling in caught fire following an accident near the city of Medina in Saudi Arabia, according to the police commissioner of Hyderabad, India.
According to Mehr, Hyderabad Police Commissioner VC Sajjanar told reporters that the bus was carrying 46 passengers. Only one man survived the crash and has been admitted to the intensive care unit of a local hospital.
Most of the victims were residents of Hyderabad in the southern Indian state of Telangana, the BBC reported.
According to a statement from the Telangana state government, the pilgrims were on their way from the holy city of Mecca to Medina when the accident occurred. They had traveled to Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah, a minor pilgrimage distinct from the annual Hajj.
Sajjanar said that an oil tanker was involved in the incident but did not provide further details.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences in a post on X, saying he was “deeply saddened” by the tragedy and that Indian officials were in close contact with Saudi authorities.
“Our Embassy in Riyadh and Consulate in Jeddah are providing all possible assistance,” he wrote.
Additional reports said that control rooms have been established in Jeddah and Hyderabad to support the families of the victims.
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