All 18 members of Hyderabad family, spanning 3 generations, killed in Saudi Arabia bus crash

All eighteen members of a single family across three generations were among the 45 Umrah pilgrims from Hyderabad killed after a passenger bus on the way from Mecca to Medina collided with a diesel tanker early Monday morning in Saudi Arabia.

Naseeruddin Shaik, a retired railway employee, was travelling in the ill-fated bus with his wife, son, three daughters and grandchildren.

“Whether it was an accident or what exactly happened we still don’t know. But 18 of our family members were on that bus,” his nephew Mohammed Aslam told PTI.

He has called for a thorough inquiry into the circumstances of the crash and the travel agency that arranged the pilgrimage.

The accident reportedly occurred around 1.30 am (IST) in the Mufrihat area. Only one survivor has so far been traced and is undergoing treatment at a local hospital. Most of the victims were part of a Hyderabad-based group that included women and children, sources said.

Describing the incident as “deeply distressing”, Hyderabad Police Commissioner VC Sajjanar said preliminary reports suggested that 46 people were on board the bus at the time of the crash.

“Heartbreakingly, only one person survived,” he said, adding that the Telangana Government was coordinating with the authorities in Saudi Arabia to gather complete details. PM Narendra Modi expressed grief over the tragedy involving Indian nationals. He extended condolences to the bereaved families and wished a speedy recovery to the injured. “India’s Embassy in Riyadh and Consulate in Jeddah are providing all possible assistance,” he posted on X, adding that Indian officials were in close touch with the Saudi authorities.

Telangana CM A Revanth Reddy conveyed condolences and directed Chief Secretary K Ramakrishna Rao and DGP Anjani Kumar to verify the identities of the victims and ascertain how many were from Telangana.