New Delhi, Nov 17, KDC: At least 42 people, most of them believed to be Indian nationals, were feared dead after a bus carrying Umrah pilgrims collided with a diesel tanker near Medina in Saudi Arabia on Monday, according to local media reports. Many of the victims are suspected to be from Hyderabad.
External affairs minister S. Jaishankar said on X that he was “deeply shocked” by the tragedy and that the Indian Embassy in Riyadh and the Consulate in Jeddah were providing “the fullest support” to those affected. He conveyed his “sincere condolences to the bereaved families” and prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured.
Telangana information technology minister D. Sridhar Babu said preliminary information suggested that at least 16 of those killed were residents of Hyderabad’s Bazarghat area in Mallepalli. State officials are working with central authorities to verify the identities.
Relatives said the group had left Hyderabad on November 9 and was returning to Medina after offering Umrah prayers in Mecca when the tragedy struck. They were travelling through Al Meena and Al Mecca Travels, based in Nampally.
In view of the accident, the Ministry of External Affairs announced that a 24×7 control room has been set up at the Consulate General of India in Jeddah to assist families of the victims and those seeking information.
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