External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday expressed shock after 42 Indian pilgrims from Hyderabad were feared dead in a bus accident in Saudi Arabia. Jaishankar stated that the Indian embassy in Riyadh and the Consulate in Jeddah are providing full support.
A bus carrying Umrah pilgrims collided with a tanker in Saudi Arabia on its way to Medina from Mecca, killing nearly 42 Indians.
In a statement, Jaishankar said, “Deeply shocked at the accident involving Indian nationals in Medinah, Saudi Arabia. Our Embassy in Riyadh and Consulate in Jeddah are giving the fullest support to Indian nationals and families affected by this accident. Sincere condolences to the bereaved families. Pray for the speedy recovery of those injured.”
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
The Consulate in Jeddah, in a post on X, stated that a control room had been established to provide support to the accident victims. A helpline number was also issued.
“In view of a tragic bus accident near Madina, Saudi Arabia, involving Indian Umrah pilgirms, a 24×7 Control Room has been set up in Consulate General of India, Jeddah. The contact details of the Helpline are as under: Toll free number-8002440003,” it said.
No official casualty figures have been released yet.
Meanwhile, Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy also expressed shock over the bus accident. The Telangana government stated that it is in contact with the Indian Embassy in Riyadh after Indian Umrah pilgrims were killed in the accident.
The state government, in an official statement, also confirmed that CM Revanth Reddy has alerted officials in New Delhi about the accident and instructed them to coordinate closely with embassy authorities.
