According to the "Hindustan Times," at least 16 of the deceased were residents of Hyderabad, India. Officials are continuing the process of identifying the victims as the bus was completely burned.
Preliminary information indicates that the accident occurred at approximately 1:30 AM local time in the area of the city of Mufrihat, located about 160 km from Medina. It was reported that there were 43 passengers on the bus, with only one person surviving.
India's Minister of External Affairs, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, expressed deep sorrow over the incident. He emphasized that the embassy in Riyadh and the consulate in Jeddah are providing all necessary assistance to the victims and their families.
The Indian Embassy in Jeddah announced a helpline for the families of the disaster victims. Meanwhile, Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi appealed to the central government to help the affected families by expediting the identification of the victims and repatriating the bodies to India.
