Mecca-Medina tragedy: Pilgrimage shatters families as bus fire kills 45; bodies charred beyond recognition

HYDERABAD: The bus accident early on Monday in Saudi Arabia left 45 people dead, with only one passenger - Shoeb - surviving the crash. "I spoke to Shoeb. Going by what he said, some passengers were asleep during the crash.

He was lucky to be in the cabin with the driver," his brother, Mohammed Sameer, told TOI over phone.

"It is unclear if the tanker hit the vehicle while it was moving or was stationary." Sameer and his family landed in Jeddah three days after the rest of the pilgrims and are yet to finish their Mecca rituals.

The Telangana govt has decided to depute a team, led by its newly appointed minorities welfare minister Mohammad Azharuddin, to Saudi Arabia to coordinate relief efforts.

Announcing ex gratia of ₹5 lakh each to the kin of those who died, the govt said it would help arrange the funerals of the deceased in Saudi Arabia in accordance with religious traditions. Two members of each affected family would be flown to Saudi Arabia, it said."The bodies were charred beyond recognition. DNA tests are also likely to be conducted to identify the victims," said Azharuddin, adding that a control room had been set up at Haj House (numbers 79979 59754/99129 19545) to provide more information to families of the victims.

The minister reaffirmed that the state govt, in coordination with the ministry of external affairs and Saudi authorities, was making all possible efforts to provide assistance, guidance, and necessary support to the families.

PM Narendra Modi condoled the deaths in a post on X. "Deeply saddened by the accident in Medina involving Indian nationals. My thoughts are with the families who have lost their loved ones.

I pray for the swift recovery of all those injured. Our Embassy in Riyadh and consulate in Jeddah are providing all possible assistance," he wrote.Saudi authorities have started investigating the circumstances that led to the accident. In a 2023 report, the UN pointed out that Saudi Arabia had a high road fatality rate compared to other high-income countries. Transporting worshippers around Saudi Arabia's holy sites has frequently proven dangerous.