‘Deeply shocked’ by Saudi bus crash, says Jaishankar; Indian missions ‘giving full support’

A bus accident in Saudi Arabia on Monday, resulted in the feared deaths of at least 42 Indian Umrah pilgrims. The bus was travelling from Mecca to Madina when the collision with a diesel tanker took place, causing the bus to catch fire.

Initial reports strongly suggest that many of the victims, who include women and children, were residents of Hyderabad and other parts of Telangana. The Telangana State Haj Committee has indicated that 42 pilgrims were killed, with only one reported survivor.

In response to the tragedy, the Telangana Chief Minister, A. Revanth Reddy, expressed profound shock and immediately directed state officials to gather complete details on the passengers and casualties. The Telangana government has established contact with the Indian Embassy in Riyadh and officials in New Delhi to coordinate closely on relief measures, passenger identification, and verifying the number of victims.

Furthermore, a control room has been set up at the Telangana Secretariat to provide information and support to the affected families. The Consulate General of India in Jeddah has also activated a 24×7 control room to assist Indian nationals and their families.

In other news, the Pentagon reported that the United States carried out another strike on a suspected drug-smuggling vessel in the eastern Pacific on Saturday, resulting in the deaths of three individuals on board. Additionally, the International Crimes Tribunal-1 is set to deliver its verdict today in a prominent crimes-against-humanity case concerning Bangladesh’s former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, ex-Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, and former police chief Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun.

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Breaking news live updates: 42 Indian pilgrims feared dead in bus-tanker collision near Medina

Breaking news live updates: 42 Indian pilgrims feared dead in bus-tanker collision near Medina

At least 42 Indians are feared dead after a bus carrying Umrah pilgrims collided with a diesel tanker and caught fire near Medina on Monday. A video doing the rounds on social media shows the bus engulfed in flames as fire brigades and rescue teams arrived at the scene.

The collision occurred around 1:30 am IST at Mufrihat, while the pilgrims were travelling from Mecca to Medina. Only one survivor has reportedly been found.