Saudi Arabia Bus Crash: 43 Indian Pilgrims Dead After Collision with Tanker

43 Umrah pilgrims from Hyderabad and two Saudi guides were killed in a a fatal accident on 17 November 2025 after the pilgrims' bus crashed with a diesel tanker near Medina, Saudi Arabia.

Official sources have revealed that the bus was carrying 46 passengers - 18 men and women each, and 10 children. The passengers were part of a larger group of 54 individuals who had travelled to Jedah, Saudi Arabia on 9 November 2025 for Umrah - a voluntary pilgrimage to Mecca.

The passengers were traveling to Medina, a holy city in Saudi Arabia, where they were expeted to stay till 22 Novemer 2025. Four others from the larger group had gone ahead by car on 16 November 2025, while four more had stayed back at Mecca.

The crash occured 25km outside of Medina.

Telangana CM Revanth Reddy has expressed shock and concern at the incident. His office is in contact with the Indian Embassy in Saudi Arabia and MEA officials in New Delhi. They are collecting details of the incident and providing support to the victims' kin.

Meanwhile, PM Modi has tweeted his condolences to the victims' family, affirming that officials are in contact with Saudi authorities and providing all the assistance they can.

Other top officials like Vice President Radhakrishnan, External Affairs Minister Jaishankar, Telangana Governer Jishnu Dev Varma, Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, top opposition leaders, and prominent politicians have expressed their concern at the incident.

MP and AIMIM Chief Asaduddin Owaisi has expressed shock and concern at the incident and has directed the Ministry of External Affairs to provide necessary assistance.

In a letter to Minister of External Affairs Jaishankar, he detailed that the main priorities should be providing relief and support to the victims’ families, expedite any bureaucratic procedures, and bring back the bodies of the victims to Hyderabad.

The Telangana government has announced that the victims of the blast will be laid to rest in Saudi Arabia. Last rites will be performed according to religious customs and two family members of each victim will be facilitated transport for the ceremony.

The state cabinet also announced ₹5 lakh compensation for each of the victims’ families. It further approved sending a delegation of representatives to Saudi Arabia, consisting of Minorities Welfare Minister Mohd Azharuddin, a Minority Welfare Department officer, and AIMIM MLA Majid Hussain. Hussain is the MLA from Nampally, Hyderabad, from where many of the victims hailed.

Eighteen members of a single family were killed in the Medina crash. According to relatives, Shaik Naseeruddin and Akhter Begum had embarked on the pilgrimage along with their family, which included several children, to fulfil their religious duties. Three generations of the family were affected.

“We request that the government there must conduct a full inquiry,” a relative told PTI, “We do not know what exactly happened or what kind of incident it was. There must also be an inquiry into the travel agency involved, and strict punishment should be given.”