NEW DELHI, Nov 17: At least 42 people were charred to death after a bus carrying Umrah pilgrims collided with a diesel tanker near Medina, according to local media in Saudi Arabia on Monday. The victims are believed to be Indian nationals, with several reportedly from Hyderabad.
The Telangana government said it is in contact with the Indian Embassy in Riyadh. In an official statement, the state government confirmed that chief minister Revanth Reddy has alerted officials in New Delhi and instructed them to coordinate closely with embassy authorities.
Preliminary inputs indicate that at least 16 of those killed in the Saudi bus mishap were Hyderabad residents, Telangana information technology minister D Sridhar Babu said. He added that they were all reportedly from the Bazarghat area of Mallepalli, and officials are still verifying the identities of the deceased.
Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi on Monday said that 42 Hajj pilgrims travelling from Mecca to Medina were on a bus that caught fire, as he sought immediate action from the Centre following the fatal accident.
