A fatal accident involving a bus full of Indian pilgrims killed at least 45 people near the holy city of Medina in Saudi Arabia, Indian police said on Monday, one of the deadliest accidents in the Gulf kingdom in years.
“The tragic bus accident involving Indian pilgrims in Saudi Arabia is deeply distressing,” VC Sajjanar, police commissioner of the city of Hyderabad, where many of the Indian nationals were reported to have come from, told reporters.
“According to preliminary information, 46 people were traveling on the bus at the time of the incident and, unfortunately, only one person survived,” he said.
Saudi officials have not provided a death toll from the crash.
Earlier on Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered his condolences in a social media post, saying the Indian embassy was working with Saudi officials on the ground.
“Deeply saddened by the accident in Medina involving Indian citizens. My thoughts are with the families who have lost their loved ones,” the PM wrote in X.
“I pray for the speedy recovery of all the injured. Our embassy in Riyadh and our consulate in Jeddah are providing all possible assistance,” he added.
Road accidents were one of the biggest causes of injuries and deaths in Saudi Arabia, according to a 2023 UN statement, which also said the kingdom had maintained a high road mortality rate compared to other high-income countries.
Transporting worshipers around Saudi Arabia’s holy sites has often proven dangerous, especially during the hajj, when roads can be chaotic and buses create endless traffic jams.
Millions of people also visit Saudi Arabia for the umrah pilgrimage, which takes place outside the haj period.
In March 2023, a bus carrying pilgrims to the holy city of Mecca burst into flames after a collision on a bridge, killing 20 people and injuring more than two dozen.
And in October 2019, some 35 foreigners were killed and four others injured when a bus collided with another heavy vehicle near Medina.
Pilgrimages are an essential component of Saudi Arabia’s booming tourism sector that officials hope will help diversify the kingdom’s economy away from fossil fuels.
The Gulf kingdom is also home to more than two million Indian citizens who have long played a vital role in its labor market, helping to build many of the country’s megaprojects and sending billions of dollars in remittances home each year.
Saudi Arabia and India have fostered a close relationship for decades.
India’s rapidly developing economy is heavily dependent on oil imports, with Saudi Arabia being its third largest supplier, according to India’s Ministry of External Affairs.
