How one Indian survived Saudi bus accident that killed 45
What's the story
A tragic bus accident near Medina, Saudi Arabia, on Monday claimed the lives of 45 Indian Umrah pilgrims. The lone survivor of the crash is Mohd Abdul Shoiab, a 24-year-old from Hyderabad, per NDTV. He was seated near the driver when the bus collided with a diesel tanker while traveling from Mecca to Medina at around 1:30am IST. He is currently in the hospital, Hyderabad Police Commissioner VC Sajjanar told the media.
Details
Group left Hyderabad on November 9
The group had left Hyderabad on November 9 and was on their way back to Madinah after offering Umrah prayers in Mecca when the tragedy occurred, according to a relative of the victims. They had travelled through Al Meena and Al Mecca Travels in Nampally. Rescue teams said that the bus was completely gutted, making victim identification exceedingly difficult. Indian community volunteers are actively providing support to those affected, per Gulf News.
Relief efforts
Indian mission in Jeddah sets up control room
The Indian mission in Jeddah has established a control room to coordinate relief efforts for the victims' families. The toll-free helpline is 8002440003. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, who is currently in Russia, expressed his condolences and assured support to affected families. "Our embassy in Riyadh and consulate in Jeddah are giving fullest support to Indian nationals and families affected by this accident," he said.
State response
Telangana Chief Minister directs officials to coordinate relief
Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy also reacted to the tragedy, directing state officials to coordinate with the Ministry of External Affairs and the Saudi Embassy for relief measures. His office said Chief Secretary K Ramakrishna Rao has spoken with Coordination Secretary Gaurav Uppal in Delhi regarding necessary directives. A control room has been set up at the Secretariat to monitor details and provide information to families.