NEW DELHI: At least 42 Umrah pilgrims from Hyderabad are feared dead as a passenger bus travelling from Mecca to Medina collided with a diesel tanker in Saudi Arabia on Monday morning.
According to local media reports, the accident occurred around 1.30 am IST in the Mufrihat area. Of the 43 passengers on board, there was only one survivor who is undergoing treatment in a hospital.
Sources said the pilgrims were part of a Hyderabad-based group that included women and children.
Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy expressed shock over the tragedy and directed Chief Secretary K Ramakrishna Rao and DGP Shivadhar Reddy to gather details of the victims and verify how many were from the state.
He asked officials to coordinate with the Ministry of External Affairs and the Saudi Embassy to expedite relief efforts. A control room has been activated at the State Secretariat, and Resident Commissioner Gaurav Uppal has been alerted.
Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi said he had spoken to Abu Mathen George, Deputy Chief of Mission at the Indian Embassy in Riyadh, who assured him that information was being collected.
Owaisi said he had shared passenger details received from two Hyderabad travel agencies with the Embassy and the Foreign Secretary.
The parliamentarian urged the Union Government and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to ensure the bodies are brought back to India and that the injured received proper medical care.