Eighteen members of a family were among at least 45 Umrah pilgrims from Hyderabad charred early Monday in a bus inferno triggered by a highway collision with a fuel tanker while travelling from Mecca to Medina in Saudi Arabia. Mohammed Shoeb, the lone pilgrim to survive, escaped because he was seated beside the driver when the bus burst into flames after ramming into the tanker around 1.30am (11pm IST). Both men broke through a window and jumped. Hyderabad police commissioner V C Sajjanar said the 46 passengers were part of a 54-member group that flew from the city to Saudi Arabia on Nov 9. They were to return on Nov 23 after visiting Islam’s holiest site. “Four members of the group hired a car to travel to Medina after completing Umrah rituals. Another four stayed back in Mecca,” Sajjanar said. The victims include 22 women and 11 children. Shoeb, whose brother also travelled to Saudi Arabia for the pilgrimage but wasn’t on the bus, remains in intensive care at Saudi German Hospital with injuries to his arms and legs. “I spoke to Shoeb. Going by what he said, some passengers were asleep during the crash. He was lucky to be in the cabin with the driver,” his sibling, Mohammed Sameer, told TOI over phone. Telangana govt to send team to Saudi to coordinate relief

“It is unclear if the tanker hit the vehicle while it was moving or was stationary.”Sameer and his family landed in Jeddah three days after the rest of the pilgrims and are yet to finish their Mecca rituals. PM Modi condoled the deaths in a post on X. “Deeply saddened by the accident in Medinah involving Indian nationals. My thoughts are with the families who have lost their loved ones. I pray for the swift recovery of all those injured. Our embassy in Riyadh and consulate in Jeddah are providing all possible assistance,” he wrote.Telangana govt has decided to depute a team, led by its minorities welfare minister Mohammad Azharuddin, to Saudi Arabia to coordinate relief efforts. Announcing ex gratia of Rs 5 lakh each to the kin of those who died, the govt said it would help arrange the funerals of the deceased in Saudi in accordance with traditions. Two members of each affected family would be flown to Saudi, it said. “The bodies were charred beyond recognition. DNA tests are also likely to be conducted to identify the victims,” said Azharuddin, adding a control room had been set up at Haj House (numbers 79979 59754/99129 19545) to provide more information to families of victims. The minister reaffirmed the state govt, in coordination with the foreign ministry and Saudi authorities, was making all possible efforts to provide assistance, guidance, and necessary support to the families. Police and govt officials, who are in contact with authorities in Saudi, said the Al-Makkah Travels-owned bus was about 25km short of its destination when the fatal crash occurred.Saudi authorities have started investigating the circumstances that led to the accident. In a 2023 report, the UN pointed out that Saudi had a high road fatality rate compared to other high-income countries. Transporting worshippers around Saudi’s holy sites has frequently proven dangerous, particularly during Haj, when roads can be chaotic with buses creating interminable traffic jams, sources said.