Dozens of Indian Umrah Pilgrims Killed in Saudi Bus Crash
The group had been travelling from Mecca to Medina, two of Islam’s holiest cities. Large numbers of Muslims undertake the year-round Umrah pilgrimage, and bus journeys between the two cities are common on these routes.
Hyderabad Police Commissioner V. C. Sajjanar confirmed the toll. He said 54 people left Hyderabad for Jeddah on 9 November for a pilgrimage scheduled to run until 23 November. According to him, eight travellers avoided the incident as they chose a different mode of transport, while 46 boarded the bus involved in the crash.
He said 45 of them died, citing the “travel plan from November 9 to 23” section of the group’s itinerary as unchanged wording.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on X that he was deeply distressed by the crash. He conveyed condolences, called for the recovery of the injured, and noted that India’s Embassy in Riyadh and Consulate in Jeddah were extending assistance.
Saudi authorities and Indian diplomatic teams are coordinating to gather further information. The Consulate General of India in Jeddah has opened a 24×7 control room to support families seeking updates.
In Hyderabad, Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy issued a statement expressing shock over the incident. He directed senior state officials to work with India’s Ministry of External Affairs and Saudi authorities to obtain details and oversee relief efforts.
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Local MP Asaduddin Owaisi said he was informed that only one person survived the crash. He cited information that the collision occurred about 25 km from Medina and said he requested further updates from Indian diplomats.
His comments referenced the section noting that pilgrims reportedly travelled through two separate agencies.
One of those agencies, Al Makkah Travel, said at least 20 passengers were part of its group. A representative reported that the bus may have collided with a tanker and caught fire, adding that the agency had lost contact with several passengers.
Many of the pilgrims were from neighbourhoods in central and south Hyderabad. The city sends thousands of travellers to Saudi Arabia each year for Umrah, with short-duration packages commonly offered by local agencies.
Source: Agencies
