Hyderabad Commissioner, ‘only one survivor of the accident’
(ANSA-AFP) – NEW DELHI, NOV 17 – Indian police have announced that a night-time bus accident in Saudi Arabia caused the death of 45 Muslim pilgrims. “The tragic bus accident involving Indian pilgrims in Saudi Arabia is deeply distressing,” VC Sajjanar, police commissioner of Hyderabad city, where many of the Indian citizens involved are believed to have come from, told reporters. “According to initial information, 46 people were traveling on the bus at the time of the accident and, unfortunately, only one survived.”
The crash occurred near the holy city of Medina and was one of the deadliest accidents in the Gulf kingdom in recent years. Saudi officials did not provide a death toll from the crash. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences in a social media post this morning, saying the Indian embassy was cooperating with Saudi officials on the ground. “Deeply saddened by the incident in Medina involving Indian citizens. My thoughts are with the families who lost their loved ones,” the prime minister wrote on Road accidents have been a leading cause of injuries and fatalities in Saudi Arabia, according to a 2023 United Nations statement, which also said the kingdom has maintained a high road fatality rate compared to other high-income countries.
Transporting worshipers to Saudi Arabia’s holy sites has often proved dangerous, particularly during the hajj, the annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, when roads can be chaotic with buses creating endless traffic jams. (ANSA-AFP).
