Indian pilgrims killed in Medina bus accident laid to rest in Saudi Arabia; Andhra Pradesh Governor attends

The last rites of the victims of the Medina bus accident, in which 44 Indians died, took place on Saturday in Saudi Arabia. The deceased pilgrims were laid to rest at the sacred Jannat ul Baqi cemetery.

The funeral prayers were attended by a high-level Indian delegation, including the Governor of Andhra Pradesh S. Abdul Nazeer, Indian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Suhel Khan, and Consul General Fahad Suri.

In an official post on X (formerly twitter), the Indian Embassy in Saudi Arabia wrote, “The last rites of the victims of the Medina bus accident took place on November 22 in Medina, Saudi Arabia. Governor of Andhra Pradesh Justice S. Abdul Nazeer participated in the funeral prayers at the Prophet's Mosque and the burial at Jannat ul Baqi. Ambassador Dr Suhel Khan and Consul General Fahad Suri also joined the relatives and well-wishers.”

The Embassy also expressed its deep condolences to the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives in the tragic accident.

Governor Nazeer meets Saudi officials

During his visit to the country, Governor Nazeer also held meetings and conversations with Saudi authorities. He met Abdulmohsen bin Naif bin Humaid, the Acting Governor of Medina and held a telephonic conversation with Prince Salman bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the Governor of Medina, ANI reported.

The Governor was accompanied by Special Chief Secretary G. Anantha Ramu, Secretary (CPV & OIA) Arun Kumar Chatterjee, along with the Ambassador and Consul General.

“The Saudi authorities conveyed their condolences and assured full support. The Indian side expressed gratitude for the assistance extended by the leadership and all concerned authorities of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” the Indian Embassy in Saudi Arabia wrote in a X post.

Details of the tragic accident

The accident involved a group of 54 pilgrims from Hyderabad who had left for Jeddah on November 9 for an Umrah pilgrimage tour scheduled to take place from November 9 to 23.

The group had embarked on their pilgrimage, which included visits to the holy sites in Mecca and Medina, when their bus collided with an oil tanker nearly 25 km before Medina. The impact triggered an explosion, and the vehicle was engulfed in flames within minutes.

Of the 54 pilgrims, four had travelled to Medina separately by car, while another four stayed back in Makkah for personal reasons. The remaining 46 pilgrims were on the bus involved in the devastating crash. Tragically, 45 passengers died at the spot, leaving only one survivor — Md Abdul Shoaib.