At Least 45 People Killed After Bus Collides with Diesel Tanker and Explodes

A devastating tragedy has struck in Saudi Arabia, where at least 45 people were killed after a bus carrying Indian pilgrims collided with a diesel tanker and went up in flames. According to early reports, seven members of the same family were among the victims.

The crash happened in the early hours of Monday, November 17, as 46 Indian pilgrims were traveling from Mecca to Medina. Most of the passengers were asleep when the bus slammed into the tanker around 1:30 a.m. local time, The Associated Press, BBC, and The Independent reported. The impact sparked a massive fire, leaving only one survivor from the bus and claiming the lives of at least 45 people.

Officials from the Embassy of India in Riyadh and the Chief Minister’s Office in Telangana have not yet responded to requests for comment.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his grief on X, sharing that he was deeply saddened by the disaster. “My thoughts are with the families who have lost their loved ones. I pray for the swift recovery of all those injured,” he wrote. Modi added that India’s embassy and consulate in Saudi Arabia are working closely with local authorities and offering all possible assistance.

V.C. Sajjanar, a senior police official in Hyderabad, confirmed to The Independent that all of the pilgrims were from the city. The group had traveled to Saudi Arabia for the Umrah pilgrimage, a non-mandatory Islamic pilgrimage that differs from Hajj. Of the 54 pilgrims who departed for Mecca, four later traveled to Medina by car, 46 took the bus involved in the crash, and four remained in Mecca.

In the wake of the tragedy, authorities have set up control rooms in Hyderabad and in Jeddah — a major entry point for travelers to Mecca — to help families locate information about their loved ones.

One man, Mohammed Tehseen from Hyderabad, told the BBC that seven of his relatives were on board. Only one, Shoaib, survived and managed to call home to share the heartbreaking news.