Hyderabad, Nov 18 — The Indian Consulate General in Jeddah has established a camp office at the Indian Haj Pilgrims Office in Madinah to assist families of the 45 Umrah pilgrims from Hyderabad who died in a tragic bus accident near the holy city. The temporary office is functioning from Room No. 104, First Floor, Saroor Taiba Al-Dahbiya Hotel, Al Masani, Madinah, the Consulate announced on X.
In a swift response, the Telangana government has dispatched a delegation led by Minorities Welfare Minister Mohammed Azharuddin to Saudi Arabia. The team includes AIMIM MLA Majid Hussain and Minorities Welfare Department Secretary B. Shafiullah. Their mission is to work closely with Indian embassy officials and Saudi authorities to coordinate support for grieving families.
The Telangana Cabinet, which convened an emergency meeting on Monday, approved Rs 5 lakh ex gratia for each of the deceased pilgrims’ families. It also decided to facilitate travel for two members of every bereaved family to Saudi Arabia to participate in the funeral rites, which may be performed there in accordance with religious customs.
The tragedy unfolded late Sunday night when a bus carrying Umrah pilgrims collided with a diesel tanker about 30 km from Madinah. Only one passenger survived the crash and is undergoing treatment in a local hospital.
Chief Minister Revanth Reddy directed the Chief Secretary and DGP to immediately coordinate with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the Indian Embassy in Riyadh, and Saudi authorities to verify details and expedite assistance. Helplines have been activated in Hyderabad and New Delhi to ensure uninterrupted communication with affected families.
In New Delhi, Telangana Resident Commissioner Dr Shashank Goel chaired an emergency review meeting at Telangana Bhavan. A dedicated Liaison Officer has been assigned to the MEA for round-the-clock coordination. Senior officials, including Dr Gaurav Uppal, Secretary (Coordination), are monitoring developments as efforts continue to support the families of the victims.
