KABUL (Pajhwok): At least 45 Indian Umrah pilgrims were killed and one person wounded after a bus collided with a fuel tanker near Madina Munawwara in Saudi Arabia on Monday, a media report said.
The Hindustan Times reported the devastating incident occurred at around 1:30am (India time) in the Mufrehat area, about 160 kilometres from Madina Munawwara. The victims were reportedly Indian nationals, with some believed to be residents of the Indian state of Hyderabad.
Hyderabad Police Commissioner V. C. Sajjanar said: “Forty-five people have died, and there is only one survivor who is currently in hospital.”
He added that a total of 54 people had travelled to Jeddah on 9 November and were scheduled to return on 23 November.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his grief over the Saudi accident, saying he was “deeply saddened” by the tragedy.
He also prayed for the swift recovery of those injured and confirmed that the Indian Embassy in Riyadh and the Consulate in Jeddah are providing all possible assistance.
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