Hyderabad/Jeddah | At least 45 Indians, majority of them Umrah pilgrims from Telangana capital Hyderabad, were killed in Saudi Arabia's Madina 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. However, there was no official word from Saudi authorities or the government of India over casualties.
The Indian mission in Jeddah has rushed officials to the site of the accident to assess the situation.
"At this point, we cannot provide any details of the casualty figure as the process to identify the deceased is underway," officials said.
As many as 18 members of a family across three generations were in the bus involved in the deadly accident, relatives said.
Shaik Nazeeruddin, a retired railway employee from Vidya Nagar in Hyderabad, was travelling in the ill-fated bus along with his wife, son, three daughters and grandchildren on his way to Madina, his nephew Mohammed Aslam said.
The Telangana Hajj Committee said 10 children were among the deceased.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Ministers of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, A Revanth Reddy and N Chandrababu Naidu, respectively, condoled the deaths. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and CMs of various states including M K Stalin (TN) and Omar Abdullah (J&K) and others also expressed anguish over the incident.
The bus reportedly collided with an oil tanker at around 1:30 am (IST).
Addressing reporters in Hyderabad, Sajjanar said 54 people travelled to Jeddah from here on November 9. They were scheduled to return on November 23.
Of the 54, four people travelled separately by car to Madina on Sunday, while another four stayed back in Mecca.
According to the official, 46 people were travelling in the ill-fated bus, which collided with the oil tanker about 25 km from Madina.
Only one person survived the accident and he is currently undergoing treatment at a hospital.
"We are getting information that 45 people died. They were supposed to return to Hyderabad on 23rd (of November)," Sajjanar added.
Vice President C P Radhakrishnan and PM Modi condoled the deaths.
"Deeply saddened by the accident in Madina involving Indian nationals. My thoughts are with the families who have lost their loved ones," Modi said in a post on X.
"I pray for the swift recovery of all those injured," he said.
The PM said the Indian embassy in Riyadh and Consulate in Jeddah are
providing all possible assistance and officials are also in close contact with Saudi Arabian authorities.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju expressed shock over the incident.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge urged the Centre to closely coordinate with state authorities to provide succour to the families of the deceased.
"Deeply saddened by the heart-wrenching tragedy near Madina, Saudi Arabia involving several Indian nationals. My deepest condolences to the bereaved families, and prayers for the swift recovery of the injured," he said in a post on X.
Relatives of the victims who spoke to PTI Videos in Hyderabad said they have received information that the ill-fated bus "went up in flames" following the accident.
Mufti Asif, a city resident, said seven members of his family travelled to Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah. He confirmed receiving photos of the accident and urged the Telangana government to facilitate his travel to Saudi Arabia to take care of his family members.
Mohammad Salman, another city resident, whose six family members were in the bus, said his last contact with them indicated that they were two hours away from Madina before all communication ceased.
According to Mohammad Burhan, another city resident, the sole survivor, Shoaib managed to escape by jumping out of the bus after breaking the window, sustaining burns to his hands in the process.
Tafseer Iqubal, Joint Commissioner of Police, quoting preliminary information, said out of the 46 who were in the bus, 43 are from Hyderabad limits, 2 from Cyberabad and one has the address of Hubbali in Karnataka.
The police official further said there were 18 men and an equal number of women and 10 children in the ill-fated bus.
Meanwhile, the state government said Minorities Welfare Minister Mohammad Azharuddin will lead a team to Saudi Arabia to coordinate relief efforts following the bus accident.
The government has also decided to conduct the funeral of the deceased as per religious traditions in Saudi Arabia and to provide ex-gratia of Rs five lakh each to the kin of those who died, an official release said.
Two members from each family of the victims would be taken to Saudi Arabia, it said.
The team would comprise an MLA of Asaduddin Owaisi-led AIMIM and an official of the minorities welfare department, it added.
Azharuddin said the toll is said to be about 47-48 people. The bodies are understood to be charred beyond recognition, he added.