Saudi Bus Crash Near Medina: 45 Indian Umrah Pilgrims Dead – Telangana Response & Embassy Helpline
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A catastrophic bus accident near Medina in Saudi Arabia has left at least 45 Indian Umrah pilgrims dead and one survivor in hospital after their vehicle collided with a diesel tanker, erupting into a massive fire approximately 25 kilometers from the holy city while en route from Mecca early on November 17, 2025, plunging families in Hyderabad and beyond into mourning as authorities scramble for identifications and relief. The 46-passenger bus carried 18 men, 18 women, five girls, and five boys all from Telangana when the 1:30 AM IST crash occurred near Mufrihat, with the intense blaze charring victims and complicating DNA-based confirmations at local hospitals, as rescue teams aided by residents worked through the wreckage amid the desert highway's chaos. Telangana Government's Swift Mobilization: Control Rooms & Embassy Coordination Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, expressing profound shock, immediately directed Chief Secretary K. Ramakrishna Rao and DGP Shivatha...