Daijiworld Media Network - Jeddah
Jeddah, Nov 18: The Indian Consulate General in Jeddah has established a special camp office at the Indian Haj Pilgrims Office in Madinah to assist the families of Indian Umrah pilgrims who lost their lives in a devastating bus accident near the holy city. The office is operating from Room No. 104 on the first floor of the Saroor Taiba Al-Dahbiya Hotel in Al Masani, according to an update shared on ‘X’.
In a parallel effort, a Telangana government delegation led by Minorities Welfare Minister Mohammed Azharuddin departed for Saudi Arabia on Monday night to support the bereaved families and coordinate relief measures. The delegation also includes AIMIM MLA Majid Hussain and Minorities Welfare Department Secretary B. Shafiullah. They will hold discussions with Indian embassy officials and Saudi authorities to streamline assistance and procedural requirements.
The decision to send the delegation was taken during Monday’s Cabinet meeting, where the state government also announced an ex gratia payment of Rs 5 lac to the families of each deceased pilgrim.
The horrific accident claimed the lives of at least 45 Umrah pilgrims from Hyderabad when their bus reportedly collided with a diesel tanker late Sunday night, roughly 30 kilometres from Madinah. One survivor is currently undergoing treatment at a local hospital.
According to the state government, funeral rites for the deceased may be conducted in Saudi Arabia in accordance with religious practices. Two members from each bereaved family will be facilitated to travel to Saudi Arabia to participate in the final rites, as approved by the Cabinet.
Following the tragedy, the Telangana government initiated rapid, multi-tier coordination. Chief Minister Revanth Reddy directed the chief secretary and the DGP to work closely with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the Indian Embassy in Riyadh, and Saudi authorities to verify details and expedite processes.
Helplines have been activated in both Hyderabad and New Delhi to assist families and provide continuous updates. Industries and IT Minister D. Sridhar Babu has also reached out to minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh to seek prompt central support.
In New Delhi, Telangana resident commissioner Dr. Shashank Goel chaired an emergency review meeting at Telangana Bhavan, urging officials to maintain 24/7 coordination with MEA and Saudi authorities. A dedicated Liaison Officer from Telangana Bhavan has been deployed to the MEA office to ensure uninterrupted communication. Senior officials, including Dr. Gaurav Uppal, secretary (Coordination), attended the review meeting.