By Reshma Pasupuleti 
At least 42 Indian Umrah pilgrims died after a bus travelling from Mecca to Madinah collided with a diesel tanker early Monday. Among them, 16 were from Hyderabad, according to the Telangana government.
The crash happened around 1:30 am IST near Mufrihat, about 160 km from Madinah. There were 43 passengers on board. Only one person is known to have survived. Most passengers were charred to death due to the impact and fire.
The group had left Hyderabad on November 9. It included 20 women and 11 children. They had completed Umrah rituals in Mecca and were on their way to Madinah when the tragedy occurred.
Telangana Confirms 16 Victims From Hyderabad
Telangana IT Minister D. Sridhar Babu said that 16 Hyderabadis from the Bazarghat area of Mallepalli were among the victims. Officials are still collecting complete details of the deceased.
MP Asaduddin Owaisi Seeks Action and Updates
Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi spoke to Abu Mathen George, Deputy Chief of Mission at the Indian Embassy in Riyadh. He was assured that the embassy is gathering full information.
Owaisi also contacted two Hyderabad-based travel agencies. He shared passenger details with the Embassy and the Foreign Secretary. He urged the Union Government and EAM S. Jaishankar to arrange the repatriation of the bodies and ensure proper medical care for any survivors.
Saudi Authorities and Indian Officials at Crash Site
Saudi Civil Defence and local police reached the accident site soon after the collision. Indian officials and Umrah agency representatives also arrived to assist in rescue, identification, and coordination with families in India.
In Hyderabad, families of the pilgrims are anxiously seeking updates. Many are calling travel agencies and government helplines as they wait for confirmation.
A representative from Al Meena Travel Agency in Bazarghat said 20 passengers had left Hyderabad on November 9. Sixteen of them were in the bus. The agency is awaiting official confirmation regarding their deaths.
Telangana Government Begins Coordination With MEA and Saudi Embassy
Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy expressed deep shock at the tragedy. The CMO confirmed that the bus was en route to Madinah during the accident.
The Chief Minister asked Chief Secretary K. Ramakrishna Rao and DGP B. Shivadhar Reddy to gather detailed information about the victims. He also instructed officials to coordinate with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and the Saudi Embassy for immediate relief measures.
The Chief Secretary alerted Resident Commissioner Gaurav Uppal in Delhi and asked him to collect the exact number of victims from Telangana.