Hyderabad: Dozens of Indian Umrah pilgrims, many of them from Hyderabad, are feared dead after a passenger bus travelling from Mecca to Medina collided with a diesel tanker in Saudi Arabia early on Monday, November 17.
The crash took place at around 1:30 am IST while the group was en route to Medina after completing rituals in Mecca. Initial accounts from local reports indicated that more than 40 people may have died on the spot, with several women and children believed to be among the victims. Authorities in Telangana and the Indian Embassy in Saudi Arabia have activated emergency helplines as families scramble for information.
Telangana activates 24x7 control room
Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy said he was shocked by the incident and directed senior officials to obtain a full report, including the number of passengers from the state. According to the Telangana CMO, preliminary information suggested that 42 pilgrims were on board the bus. The Chief Minister instructed the Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police to immediately coordinate with the Ministry of External Affairs and the Saudi Embassy. Chief Secretary K. Ramakrishna Rao contacted Resident Commissioner Gaurav Uppal in Delhi and ordered real-time updates from central authorities.
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A dedicated control room has been set up at the state Secretariat to support affected families and collect verified information. The Telangana helpline numbers are:
+91 79979 59754
+91 99129 19545
Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi told ANI that he had spoken to travel agencies that arranged the trip and shared passenger details with the Indian Embassy in Riyadh. He also said he had contacted Deputy Chief of Mission Abu Mathen George for updates.
Indian Embassy issues emergency helplines
In Jeddah, the Consulate General of India has opened a 24x7 control room to assist families and coordinate with Saudi authorities. The available helpline numbers are:
8002440003 (toll free)
0122614093
0126614276
WhatsApp: +966556122301External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said in a post on X that he was "deeply shocked" by the accident and confirmed that the Embassy in Riyadh and the Consulate in Jeddah were providing full support to Indian nationals and their families.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said in a post on X that he was "deeply shocked" by the accident and confirmed that the Embassy in Riyadh and the Consulate in Jeddah were providing full support to Indian nationals and their families.
Saudi authorities are yet to release an official casualty count. The situation remains fluid as officials are working to verify identities of the deceased victims and notify families.
