The final rites for the 45 Indian Umrah pilgrims who tragically lost their lives in a bus accident in Saudi Arabia were performed on Saturday in the city of Medina. The accident occurred early Monday morning near Medina when the bus, carrying the pilgrims, collided with an oil tanker and caught fire. The victims included 17 males, 18 females, and 10 children, with most of the pilgrims hailing from the Hyderabad areas of Asif Nagar, Jhirra, Mehdipatnam, and Toli Chowki.
The funeral prayers were held at the Prophet’s Mosque (Masjid an-Nabawi), followed by the burial of the mortal remains at the sacred cemetery of Jannat ul Baqi in Medina. Representing the Indian side, the Governor of Andhra Pradesh, S. Abdul Nazeer, participated in the final rites, along with Indian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Suhel Khan and India Consul General in Jeddah Fahad Suri. The Indian Embassy in Riyadh conveyed its deep condolences and confirmed that assistance was provided to the affected families through a camp office set up in Medina.
Earlier this week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar both expressed profound sadness over the tragic loss of lives. PM Modi posted on X (formerly Twitter) stating he was “Deeply saddened by the accident in Medinah involving Indian nationals,” and assured that the Embassy in Riyadh and Consulate in Jeddah were providing all possible assistance and were in close contact with Saudi Arabian authorities.
