42 Indian Umrah Congregants Died In A Bus Accident In Saudi Arabia

Illustration. (Wikimedia Commons/Tony Webster)

More than 40 people were reported killed in a bus accident near the city of Medina, Saudi Arabia on Monday morning.

The vehicle brought Umrah pilgrims from India and collided with a diesel tanker truck while traveling from Mecca to Medina. Indian media reported that the bus caught fire after the accident.

Authorities in Telangana State, southern India, said 42 worshipers were killed and one survived, The Times of India reported, quoted from The National November 17.

The victims who died in the incident included 20 women and 11 children, mostly from the city of Hyderabad.

Saudi Arabia has not confirmed the death toll.

Deeply shocked at the accident involving Indian nationals in Medinah, Saudi Arabia.

Our Embassy in Riyadh and Consulate in Jeddah are giving fullest support to Indian nationals and families affected by this accident.

Sincere condolences to the bereaved families. Pray for the…

— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) November 17, 2025

Deeply shocked at the accident involving Indian nationals in Medinah, Saudi Arabia.

Our Embassy in Riyadh and Consulate in Jeddah are given fullest support to Indian nationals and families affected by this accident.

Sincere condolences to the bereaved family. Pray for the...

Meanwhile, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of India, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, expressed his condolences to the families of the victims via message on the X account.

"My deepest condolences for the accident involving Indian citizens in Medina, Saudi Arabia," he tweeted on X.

"Our Embassy in Riyadh and our Consulate in Jeddah provide full support to Indian citizens and families affected by this accident," he continued.

"My deepest condolences to the bereaved family. Please pray for the injured victims to recover soon," said the Indian Foreign Minister.

Separately, a bus crashed and caught fire while on its way from Saudi Arabia to Yemen earlier this month. The bus, which was on its way from Jeddah to the port city of Aden in southern Yemen, collided directly with a minibus in a mountainous area in Abyan Province, Yemen.