Saudi Arabia bus accident: 45 Umrah pilgrims from India’s Hyderabad killed near Madinah
Forty-five pilgrims from the city of Hyderabad in south-central India have been killed in a devastating bus accident near Medina in Saudi Arabia, while traveling to the city from the holy city of Mecca.
The tragedy took place on Monday, The Indian Express daily reported, saying the originally 54-strong group had departed Hyderabad, the capital of India’s Telangana State, for the Saudi port city of Jeddah on November 9, and was scheduled to return on November 23.
Police Commissioner V.C. Sajjanar confirmed that eight pilgrims had avoided the tragedy by traveling separately, while the remaining 46 boarded the bus involved in the accident.
Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi confirmed that only one person had survived the incident, which occurred roughly 25 kilometers (15 miles) from Medina.
The pilgrims had booked their journey through two travel agencies, with at least 20 using Al Makkah Travel Agency. Aijaz Mohammed, a representative of the agency, said the bus collided with a diesel tanker and caught fire.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief on X, saying he was “deeply saddened” by the losses.
Iran expresses sympathy with survivors
Reacting to the tragedy, the Iranian Embassy in New Delhi also expressed lament, condoling with the survivors.
The deceased were residents of the Mallepally, Asifnagar, and Falaknuma areas of Hyderabad, according to Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation officials.
Though far smaller in scale, the incident served as a poignant reminder of other deadly occurrences plighting Muslim pilgrims in Saudi Arabia.
In September 2015, a crane collapsed at the Grand Mosque in Mecca, striking the mosque where thousands of pilgrims were present. The disaster killed around 111 people and injured nearly 400 others.
3 more Iranian pilgrims confirmed dead in Mecca crane collapse
— Press TV 🔻 (@PressTV) September 15, 2015
Read: http://t.co/2IClMkM4Vo pic.twitter.com/HLJyPqtiVB
Just a few weeks later, on September 24, 2015, a catastrophic crush occurred in Mina, near Mecca.
Pilgrims converging on a narrow street to perform a ritual became trapped in an overcrowded crush.
Five years ago during the annual #Hajj pilgrimage, hundreds of pilgrims, most of them #Iranian, were killed in a stampede in Mina near the holy city of #Mecca. #Saudi Arabia’s mismanagement of the Hajj ceremony was blamed for the deadliest stampede in Hajj history. pic.twitter.com/9QCV4v1xoG
— Press TV 🔻 (@PressTV) July 31, 2020
Official Saudi reports listed 769 dead and 934 injured, though independent counts suggested the toll could be thousands.
Trump had heated exchange with MBS over Israel normalization: Report
US to sell Saudi Arabia downgraded F-35s to keep Israeli 'military edge'
Trump dishonored Khashoggi’s legacy by defending bin Salman: Washington Post
VIDEO | Press TV's news headlines
Trump set to unveil Gaza governance plan before Christmas: Report
Iran condemns US sanctions as 'crimes against humanity'
Ireland, Spain and Netherlands quit Eurovision Song Contest over Israel
Palestinian Prisoners' Society warns of Israel's 'slow execution' of Abu Tair
VIDEO | Sahand-2025: Iran initiative to battle terrorism
Iran warns UN of humanitarian impact of unilateral coercive measures
VIDEO | Racism and xenophobia in US
PressTV NEWSLETTER
now
This makes it easy to access the Press TV website
