Forty-five Indian pilgrims have been killed after the bus they were travelling in caught fire in an accident near Medina in Saudi Arabia, the police commissioner of India's Hyderabad city has said.
The bus had 46 passengers, said VC Sajjanar in a press conference, adding that one man who survived the accident has been admitted to an intensive care unit in a local hospital.
Most of the victims, which include women, are from Hyderabad, which is in southern Telangana state.
The pilgrims were travelling from the Islamic holy city of Mecca to Medina when the accident took place, the Telangana government said in a press statement.
They had gone to Saudi Arabia for the Umrah pilgrimage, which is a shorter version of Hajj, the biggest Islamic pilgrimage.
Mr. Sajjanar stated that an oil tanker was involved in the accident but did not provide further details.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his sorrow over the tragedy and mentioned that the Indian authorities are in close contact with Saudi officials.
Our Embassy in Riyadh and Consulate in Jeddah are providing all possible assistance, Modi wrote.
Control rooms have been established in Jeddah and Hyderabad to assist the families of the victims.
Asaduddin Owaisi, a lawmaker from Hyderabad, has requested governmental help to bring the bodies of the deceased back to India.
Of the 54 people who travelled from Hyderabad to Jeddah on 9 November for the pilgrimage, four stayed in Mecca while four went to Medina by car. The remaining 46 were on the bus during the accident.
Distraught relatives have shared their grief with the media, with one victim's family member recounting the moment they learned of the horror through a call from a survivor in the hospital.
This tragic event highlights the risks associated with pilgrimage activities and the impact it has on families and communities.
