45 Dead as Bus Carrying Umrah Pilgrims Catches Fire Near Holy City in Saudi
- A bus carrying more than forty pilgrims crashed near Madinah Al Munawarrah and many passengers lost their lives
- Emergency responders evacuated survivors and recovered bodies while officials began preliminary investigations into the cause of the crash
- Messages of condolence circulated widely after Inside the Haramain reported the incident and prayed for the deceased
A collision involving a bus carrying Indian Umrah pilgrims and a fuel tanker near Madinah Al Munawarrah has resulted in one of the deadliest road accidents recorded on that route in recent years.
More than forty passengers died after the crash triggered a fire that engulfed the vehicle as it travelled from Mecca toward Madinah on Sunday, November 16.
Emergency responders recovered the bodies and moved the injured to nearby hospitals for urgent treatment.
Source: Getty Images
According to NDTV, Indian authorities confirmed that most of the victims were from Telangana. The Hyderabad Police Commissioner, VC Sajjanar, said preliminary reports from Saudi Arabia indicated that 45 people died and only one survivor was receiving treatment.
He explained that fifty-four pilgrims left Hyderabad for Jeddah on November 9, with the group scheduled to return to India on November 23. According to him, forty-six of them were inside the bus at the time of the crash.
Leaders react to the Saudi tragedy
Indian leaders expressed shock as updates filtered in. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a post on social media:
“My thoughts are with the families who have lost their loved ones. I pray for the swift recovery of all those injured.”
The message was followed by condolences from Vice President CP Radhakrishnan, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju.
Source: Twitter
Rajnath Singh noted that Indian officials were coordinating closely with Saudi authorities to support survivors and assist families of those who died.
Government sets up help centres for families
The Consulate General of India in Jeddah opened a 24 hour control room via 8002440003. Two additional helplines, +91 7997959754 and +91 9912919545, were established in India for families seeking information.
Telangana Minister Mohammed Azharuddin stated that authorities were working to ensure that at least one family representative of each victim would be able to travel to Saudi Arabia.
He described the incident as a painful moment for the state and said arrangements were underway to transport the remains once formal procedures were completed.
Condolence messages continued to spread online as officials awaited the Saudi government’s final report on the cause of the crash.
Hotel accommodating Nigerian pilgrims catches fire
Legit.ng earlier reported that the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has confirmed that the hotel accommodating all 484 Nigerian pilgrims in Makkah was gutted by fire on Saturday, June 7.
Fatima Usara, assistant director of Information for NAHCON, said the tragedy was averted as the Nigerian pilgrims were safe and no casualties were recorded but their relocation is underway.
The fire occurred on Saturday (Saudi Arabia time) at the Imaratus Sanan Hotel on Shari Mansur Street, Makkah, which housed pilgrims from six Nigerian private tour operator companies.
Source: Legit.ng
