18 members of Indian family killed in Saudi bus crash

One of the most devastating tragedies involving Indian Umrah pilgrims has left Hyderabad reeling, after 18 members of the same family — spanning three generations — were confirmed dead when their bus collided with an oil tanker near Madina early Monday and burst into flames.

The scale of the disaster has stunned the city, with grieving relatives attempting to identify severely charred remains and calling for those responsible to be held accountable.

According to family members, the victims included elderly parents, their children, and several grandchildren who had travelled to Saudi Arabia for Umrah eight days earlier.

The group had completed the pilgrimage and was on its way back to Madina when the crash occurred around 1:30 a.m., completely destroying the bus. They had been scheduled to return to India on Saturday.

Among the dead were Naseeruddin, 70; his wife Akhter Begum, 62; their son Salauddin, 42; and daughters Amina, 44; Rizwana, 38; and Shabana, 40, along with multiple children from the extended family. One branch of the wider family lives in the United States.

Early information gathered by Hyderabad Police Commissioner VC Sajjanar indicates that the death toll for Indian nationals could reach at least 45, most of them from Hyderabad.