Bus Crash Involving Indian Pilgrims in Saudi Arabia (2025)

Bus crash involving Indian pilgrims in Saudi Arabia was an accident that occurred on 17 November 2025 near the city of Medina in Saudi Arabia. The crash resulted in the deaths of 45 pilgrims, the majority of whom were from Hyderabad in the Indian state of Telangana. The incident happened when a bus traveling from Mecca to Medina collided with a diesel tanker and caught fire.

On the morning of 17 November 2025 at approximately 01:30 hours Indian time, the bus collided with a diesel tanker in the Mufrihat region, about 25 kilometers from Medina. Following the collision, the vehicle was completely engulfed in flames, and only one of the 46 passengers survived. The survivor has been identified as Muhammed Abdul Shoaib and is receiving treatment in the intensive care unit of a hospital in Saudi Arabia.

The bus was part of a group of 54 people who departed from Hyderabad on 9 November 2025 bound for Jeddah. Four members of the group traveled by car to Medina, while four others remained in Mecca and continued their journey separately. The remaining 46 individuals boarded the same bus after completing their Umrah pilgrimage to travel to Medina. Forty-five of the passengers lost their lives at the scene.

V.C. Sajjanar, Director General of Police in Hyderabad, India, confirmed that the majority of the 45 deceased were from the state of Telangana. Among the victims were 18 men, 18 women, five boys and five girls.

The identification process of the victims was challenging due to the complete destruction of the bus by fire. According to the official list published by The Hindu, the names of all 45 individuals who died in the crash have been confirmed. These names are as follows:

1. Irfan Ahmed
2. Humera Nazneen
3. Sabihah Sultana
4. Ahmed Hamdan
5. Ahmed Izan
6. Shaik Naseeruddin
7. Fatima Umaiza
8. Maryam Fatima
9. Shaik Zan Uddin
10. Fatima Mehrish
11. Shazan Ahmed Mohammed
12. Rida Tazeen
13. Shaik Uzairuddin
14. Akther Begum
15. Anees Fatima
16. Ameena Begum
17. Sara Begum
18. Khan Saleem
19. Shabana Begum
20. Syed Huzaifa Jaffar
21. Rizwana Begum
22. Shaik Salauddin
23. Farana Sultana
24. Tasmia Tahreen
25. Sultana Sana
26. Mohammed Abdul Khadeer
27. Ghousia Begum
28. Begum Shenaaz
29. Mohammed Ali
30. Rahmatheb
31. Raheem Unnisa
32. Ur Rahman Mohammed Shoaib
33. Rayees Begum
34. Begum Shahjehan
35. Al Amoudi Sara Mahmood
36. Mohammed Manzoor
37. Zaheen Begum
38. Farheen Begum
39. Begum Shoukat
40. Begum Zakiya
41. Parveen Begum
42. Mohammed Mastan
43. Mohammed Sohail
44. Mohammed Moulana
45. Abdul Gani Ahmed Saheer Shirahatti

Following the incident, the Indian Embassy in Riyadh and the Consulate General in Jeddah established a 24-hour crisis cell.

The Telangana Government set up a control center at Telangana Bhavan in New Delhi and assigned officials Vandhana, Ch. Chakravarthy and Rakshith Naik to provide information to affected families. State Secretary K. Ramakrishna Rao and Director General of Police B. Shivadhar Reddy were tasked with coordinating with the Ministry of External Affairs.

India’s Minister of External Affairs, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, stated that the Indian Embassy in Riyadh and the Consulate in Jeddah were closely engaged with the incident and that all possible support was being provided to the families of the victims. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also expressed deep sorrow over the accident on social media and wished swift recovery for the injured.

Immediately after the accident, Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy directed a full investigation into the incident and ordered direct communication with Saudi authorities. Reddy affirmed that the state government would provide all necessary support to the families of the deceased.

Telangana Minister for Minority Welfare Mohammed Azharuddin announced that at least one family member from each affected household would be sent to Saudi Arabia to participate in the identification process. Emergency helplines have also been established across the state.

Kongress Party leader Mallikarjun Kharge called on the central government to work in coordinated manner with state authorities. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan conveyed condolences to the families of the deceased.

The Iranian Embassy in New Delhi issued a message of condolence to the Indian people and the families of the victims, offering prayers for the souls of the deceased and strength and patience to their loved ones.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Telangana Governor Jishnu Dev Varma expressed their grief over the incident. Hyderabad Member of Parliament Asaduddin Owaisi urged India’s Ministry of External Affairs to repatriate the bodies of the victims as quickly as possible.