नवीनतम
45 Indians feared dead in Saudi road accident
NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: A bus carrying Umrah pilgrims from Hyderabad met with an accident in Saudi Arabia on Monday, leaving 45 people feared dead.
Vice President C P Radhakrishnan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Ministers of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, A Revanth Reddy and N Chandrababu Naidu, respectively, condoled the deaths. Tamil Nadu CM M K Stalin and the Congress party also expressed anguish over the incident.
“My thoughts are with the families who have lost their loved ones. I pray for the swift recovery of all those injured,” Modi said in a post on his official X handle.
In a social media post, Radhakrishnan said he was deeply pained by the tragic road accident near Medinah, Saudi Arabia.
At least 45 persons, majority of them Umrah pilgrims from Telangana capital Hyderabad, were killed in Saudi Arabia's Medina after their bus collided with an oil tanker, officials said on Monday.
Citing preliminary information, Hyderabad Police Commissioner V C Sajjanar put the toll at 45, saying a total of 54 persons from the city had left for the pilgrimage recently.
According to local media, the bus collided with a diesel tanker, causing the bus to catch fire. Initial reports claim that most of the deceased were Indians, most of whom were from Hyderabad.
The accident occurred around 1:30 a.m. Indian Standard Time (IST) near Muhras, about 160 kilometers from Medina. Many passengers were sleeping at the time, leaving them with no chance of survival as the bus caught fire after the collision.
The Telangana government responded immediately to the incident, stating that it is in constant contact with the Indian Embassy in Riyadh. A statement issued by the state government stated that Chief Minister Revanth Reddy has directed officials in Delhi to coordinate closely with the embassy to assist in identifying the victims and other formalities.
Meanwhile, Telangana government issued helplines numbers (040-23391231, 040-23391063).
Indian Embassy releases helpline numbers
The Indian Embassy in Jeddah has released helpline numbers. The Embassy stated, "In light of the tragic bus accident involving Indian Umrah pilgrims near Medina, Saudi Arabia, a 24x7 control room has been set up at the Indian Consulate General in Jeddah. The helpline contact details are 8002440003."
Following the incident, the Telangana government set up a control room at the Secretariat so that families can seek information about their loved ones. Family members can contact the following numbers: 79979-59754 and 99129-19545.
