Hyderabad pilgrims among 42 Indians killed in road accident in Mecca; Telangana sets up control room

Hyderabad: A devastating road accident in Saudi Arabia claimed the lives of at least 42 Indian Umrah pilgrims in the wee hours of Monday.

The passenger bus, travelling from Mecca to Madinah, collided with a diesel tanker near Mufrihat around 1.30 am local time.

Initial reports indicate that many of the deceased are from Hyderabad and Telangana, including women and children. The group had completed Umrah rituals in Mecca and was en route to Madinah when tragedy struck.

Saudi Authorities gathering details

Rescue teams and local authorities rushed to the spot immediately after the crash. However, the exact number of casualties, the condition of survivors, and identity confirmation are still awaited.

Saudi officials have begun collecting detailed information and are working with Indian authorities to verify the nationality of the victims.

CM Revanth Reddy orders urgent verification

Deeply shocked by the incident, Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy sought an immediate report on the tragedy.

He instructed Chief Secretary K. Ramakrishna Rao and DGP Shivadhar Reddy to ascertain how many Telangana residents were on the bus and to coordinate with the Ministry of External Affairs and the Saudi Embassy for relief measures.

Coordination with Centre, Help Desk activated

Acting on the CM’s directions, the Chief Secretary alerted Resident Commissioner Gaurav Uppal in New Delhi to liaise with central agencies and gather authenticated details. The Telangana government has also set up a control room at the State Secretariat to assist families seeking information.

Control Room Numbers: +91 79979 59754

+91 99129 19545, the officials said.

Owaisi Seeks Centre’s Intervention for Repatriation, Medical Aid

Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi expressed concern over the Saudi Arabia bus tragedy, stating that 42 Hajj pilgrims travelling from Mecca to Medina were on the bus that caught fire. Owaisi said he had spoken to Abu Mathen George, Deputy Chief of Mission (DCM) at the Indian Embassy in Riyadh, who assured him that officials were gathering detailed information.

The MP added that he had contacted two Hyderabad-based travel agencies and shared the passengers’ details with the Riyadh Embassy and the Foreign Secretary. He urged the Union Government, particularly External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar, to ensure the repatriation of bodies and provide proper medical care for any injured pilgrims.

Control Room set up at Telangana Bhavan to track Saudi Accident details

In the wake of the tragic bus accident in Saudi Arabia involving Indian pilgrims travelling from Makkah to Madinah, a control room has been established at Telangana Bhavan in New Delhi.

Senior officials stationed there are in direct coordination with the Indian Embassy in Riyadh to gather comprehensive information about the incident, including confirmation of how many victims are from Telangana.

Control Room Contacts (Telangana Bhavan, New Delhi):

Vandhana, PS to Resident Commissioner & Liaison Head: +91 98719 99044

Ch. Chakravarthi, Public Relations Officer: +91 99583 22143

Rakshith Nail, Liaison Officer:+91 96437 23157