Saudi Arabia Bus Crash: A devastating road accident in Saudi Arabia early Monday claimed the lives of at least 45 Indian Umrah pilgrims, most of them from Hyderabad, when their bus collided with a diesel tanker and burst into flames. The Telangana government confirmed the fatalities, stating that the crash occurred around 1:30 am (IST) at Mufrihat, approximately 160 km from Madinah. Only one passenger is known to have survived.
PM Modi Reacts to Saudi Arabia Bus Crash
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu expressed grief over the tragedy.
The Telangana government announced ₹5 lakh compensation for the families of the victims.
How the Saudi Arabia Bus Crash Happened
Hyderabad Police Commissioner VC Sajjanar said on Monday that 45 pilgrims from Hyderabad and other parts of Telangana died when their bus, traveling from Mecca to Madinah, collided with an oil tanker.
The impact caused an explosion, after which the bus was immediately engulfed in flames.
According to Sajjanar, quoted by ANI, “The fire spread rapidly, leaving no time for most passengers to escape.”
Group of 54 Pilgrims Had Completed Umrah
The pilgrims had left Hyderabad on November 9. The group consisted of 54 pilgrims, including 20 women and 11 children, who had completed Umrah rituals in Mecca and were heading to Madinah when the accident occurred.
Of the total group:
Four pilgrims took a car to Madinah,
Four others stayed back in Mecca for personal reasons,
The remaining 46 boarded the ill-fated bus.
Saudi Arabia Bus Crash Victims Identified Across States
Among the victims was Abdul Ghani Shirhatti from Hubballi, Karnataka. His younger brother, Faruque Shirhatti, told ANI that Abdul Ghani had been working as a driver in Abu Dhabi for the past 25 years and had travelled for Umrah on November 9.
The lone survivor has been identified as 24-year-old Md Abdul Shoeb, who is currently admitted to an ICU in Saudi Arabia.
Shoeb reportedly shifted to a seat near the driver because he had been unable to sleep. When the bus collided with the tanker, he and the driver jumped out of a window before the fire engulfed the vehicle.
However, Shoeb lost his parents, grandfather, and three members of his uncle’s family in the accident.
Man Loses 18 Family Members in Saudi Arabia Bus Crash
The scale of personal tragedy became evident with the story of 35-year-old Syed Rashid, who lost 18 members of his family in the crash. The deceased include:
His father Shaik Naseeruddin (65)
His mother Akhter Begum (60)
His brother (38), sister-in-law (35) and their three children
His relative Sirajuddin, who lived in the United States
Sirajuddin’s wife Sana (40) and their three children
Recalling their departure for Umrah, Rashid said, “When I saw them off at the Hyderabad airport on November 9 for the Umrah pilgrimage, I never imagined that I would be seeing them for the last time. I told them not to travel together, especially with children. But they did not listen. At least some of them would have survived, had they heeded to my advice.”
With inputs from agencies
Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
