NEED TO KNOW
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At least 45 people are dead and one person is injured after a bus collided with a diesel tanker near Mecca in Saudi Arabia
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The group was making a pilgrimage to the Islamic holy city
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A relative said seven of his family members died in the crash
At least 45 people are dead after a bus fire, following a collision with a diesel tanker in Saudi Arabia. Seven people on board were part of the same family, according to reports.
On Monday, Nov. 17, 46 Indian pilgrims were traveling on a bus from Mecca, a holy city of Islam, to Medina when the crash occurred, The Associated Press, the BBC and The Independent reported. At approximately 1:30 a.m. local time, most of the dozens of passengers were asleep when the bus hit the tanker and caught on fire, according to The Independent. At least 45 people on board died and one person was injured, according to the reports.
Officials from the Embassy of India in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and the Chief Minister’s Office in Telangana, India, did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s requests for comment.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote that he was “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,” the official continued on X. “Our Embassy in Riyadh and Consulate in Jeddah are providing all possible assistance. Our officials are also in close contact with Saudi Arabian authorities.”
V.C. Sajjanar, a senior police official in Hyderabad, India, confirmed to The Independent that all of the pilgrims hailed from his city.
The group had traveled to Saudi Arabia for the Umrah pilgrimage, which is shorter than the obligatory Islamic pilgrimage, Hajj, according to the outlet.
The official said that 54 pilgrims had traveled to Mecca, with four later traveling to Medina by car, 46 traveling by bus, and four staying in Mecca, The Independent reported.
FADEL SENNA/AFP via Getty
An aerial view shows Mecca’s Grand Mosque with the Kaaba, Islam’s holiest site in the center.
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Following the devastating crash, control rooms have been set up in Hyderabad and Jeddah, a gateway city to Mecca, to assist families searching for information about their loved ones, according to the BBC.
Mohammed Tehseen, who hails from Hyderabad, said seven of his family members were on the bus. His relative, Shoaib, survived the collision and called to tell him the devastating news, according to the BBC.
Read the original article on People
