Dozens Killed in Fiery Saudi Arabia Bus Crash
A tragic collision between a bus carrying Indian pilgrims and a diesel tanker near the holy city of Medina in Saudi Arabia has resulted in the deaths of 45 people, according to police authorities. The sole survivor is currently receiving medical treatment in hospital.
Details of the Deadly Incident
The catastrophic crash occurred in the early hours of Monday, 17 November 2025, at around 1:30 am local time near the area of Mufrihat, approximately 160km from Medina. Officials reported that the bus, which was transporting a group of Umrah pilgrims, collided with the tanker and subsequently burst into flames.
VC Sajjanar, a senior police official from Hyderabad in India's Telangana state, confirmed that all the pilgrims were from Hyderabad. He detailed that a batch of 54 pilgrims had departed the city for Mecca on 9 November. Their travel itinerary was scheduled from 9 to 23 November. While four pilgrims had travelled to Medina by car and four remained in Mecca, the majority of 46 were on the ill-fated bus.
Rescue teams arriving at the scene faced harrowing conditions, with many of the victims' bodies being completely charred by the intense fire, making identification extremely difficult.
International Response and Victim Support
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed being deeply saddened by the accident involving Indian nationals. In a statement on social media platform X, he extended his thoughts to the bereaved families and prayers for the injured survivor's recovery.
The Indian government has activated multiple support channels. The Indian Consulate in Jeddah has established a 24/7 control room for affected families, operating a toll-free helpline at 8002440003. Additionally, the Indian Embassy in Riyadh and Consulate in Jeddah are providing all possible assistance to those affected, with officials maintaining close contact with Saudi Arabian authorities.
Within India, a control room has been set up at the Telangana Bhawan in New Delhi to coordinate operations and assist victims' families. Visuals from Hyderabad showed distraught family members breaking down upon receiving the devastating news. One resident tragically stated, my entire family is dead, while awaiting further information.
Member of Parliament Asaduddin Owaisi confirmed he had spoken with embassy officials and shared passenger details with the Riyadh Embassy and Foreign Secretary, urging the government to expedite efforts to repatriate the victims' bodies and assist the injured.
Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy described being shocked by the incident and confirmed he was in contact with the Indian Embassy in Riyadh following the reports.
