A serious road accident has occurred near the holy city of Medina in Saudi Arabia, where a bus carrying Indian pilgrims collided with an oil tanker. The bus had 46 people on board and was traveling from Mecca to Medina.
Indian officials report that at least 42 to 45 people are suspected to have died, while only one passenger survived with injuries. Many of the victims are from the Indian state of Telangana, including the city of Hyderabad. Most of the passengers are said to be members of two large families.
The only identified survivor is Mohammed Shoaib, who managed to get out of the bus after the explosion and is being treated in hospital for burns. According to family reports, several children and women are among the victims.
Relatives in India have gathered outside travel agencies demanding information. The Indian government, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar, have expressed condolences and activated 24/7 emergency lines for the families of the victims.
The consulate in Jeddah and the embassy in Riyadh are assisting in identifying the bodies and coordinating procedures.
Saudi authorities have yet to issue a full statement, but preliminary reports suggest the bus may have lost control before colliding with the tanker, causing massive burns.
The Telangana state government has set up an emergency center and is working with Saudi authorities to repatriate the bodies and provide assistance to the families.
Vishwanath Channappa Sajjanar, the police chief of Telangana state's capital, Hyderabad, said preliminary reports suggest that at least 18 of the dead were from Hyderabad.
"I spoke to the Consul General of India and got the details. There were 46 people on the bus and one passenger survived with injuries," Sajjanar said at a press conference.