In a horrifying accident near Medina, at least 42 Indian pilgrims are feared dead after a bus carrying them collided with a diesel tanker on Monday. As per report, most of the victims were from Hyderabad.
According to local media reports in Saudi Arabia, the victims were charred to death following the collision. Preliminary information suggests that at least 16 of those killed hailed from Hyderabad, Telangana Information Technology Minister D Sridhar Babu confirmed. Most of the deceased are believed to be residents of Bazarghat in Mallepalli. Officials are still working to verify the identities of all victims.
The group had left Hyderabad on November 9 for their Umrah pilgrimage. They had visited Mecca to offer their prayers and were returning to Medina when the accident occurred, according to relatives. The pilgrims had traveled through well-known Hyderabad-based travel agencies Al Meena and Al Mecca Travels, Nampally. 
Reacting to the tragedy, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar expressed his deep shock. “The Indian Embassy in Riyadh and the Consulate in Jeddah are providing full support to the affected families,” he said, offering condolences and prayers for the injured.
The Indian Embassy in Jeddah has set up a 24×7 helpline to assist the families of the victims. The toll-free number is 8002440003, and a control room has been established at the Consulate General to coordinate information and relief measures.
In Telangana, Chief Minister Revanth Reddy expressed profound grief over the incident. He instructed senior officials, including Chief Secretary K Ramakrishna Rao and DGP Shivadhar Reddy, to immediately collect details of the victims and identify the Telangana residents on board. A state control room has also been set up to assist the families and consolidate information.
Hyderabad MP and AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi called for urgent intervention by the Union Government. Speaking to Abu Mathen George, Deputy Chief of Mission at the Indian Embassy in Riyadh, Owaisi said he had shared the details of the passengers with the Embassy and the Foreign Secretary. He urged External Affairs Minister Jaishankar to ensure that the bodies are brought back to India and that any injured pilgrims receive proper medical care.
