A heartbreaking incident occurred in Saudi Arabia as dozens of pilgrims lost their lives in a bus accident.
On Monday, November 17, a bus carrying Indian pilgrims, from Mecca to Medina crashed and then caught fire near Medina in Saudi Arabia, resulting in the deaths of 45 passengers.
There were 46 people on board and only one person survived who is currently in the intensive care unit of a local hospital, as per BBC.
The pilgrims were in Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah which is a smaller and shorter pilgrimage compared to Hajj.
An oil tanker was involved in the accident but no additional details about the incident were provided so far.
Majority of those who died were residents of Hyderabad in the state of Telangana.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his deep condolences over the bus accident in a post on X, stating, "Deeply saddened by the accident in Medinah involving Indian nationals. My thoughts are with the families who have lost their loved ones. I pray for the swift recovery of all those injured."
The statement added, "Our Embassy in Riyadh and Consulate in Jeddah are providing all possible assistance. Our officials are also in close contact with Saudi Arabian authorities."
Additionally, special control rooms have been established in Jeddah and Hyderabad to provide support and assistance to the families of the victims.
