Indians feared dead in Saudi Arabia bus crash

Only one passanger among 46 pilgrims is reported to have survived after a bus collided with a tanker near Mednia.

At least 45 Indian nationals are feared dead and one injured after a bus accident in Saudi Arabia near the pilgrimage city of Medina, Indian authorities said on Monday.  

Saudi officials did not immediately confirm the crash or any casualties. 

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said officials were in "close contact" with Saudi authorities. 

"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 on social media. 

What we know about the Saudi Arabia bus crash?

Indian broadcaster NDTV reported, citing witnesses, that the bus was in a collision with a tanker. 

Many of the passagers were reported to have originally been from the Indian city of Hyderabad, and were performing the Islamic pilgrimage known as Umrah in Saudi Arabia. 

V.C. Sajjanar,Hyderabad's police commissioner, said preliminary information indicated that 46 people were traveling in the bus.  

He told reporters that "heartbreakingly, only one person survived."

Footage circulating on social media appeared to show a massive fire rising, allegedly from the site of the crash. 

The Times of India paper quoted unnamed officials as saying that 46 passengers were aboard the bus while reportedly traveling from Mecca to Medina.

Muslims from around the world flock to Mecca, in Saudi Arabia's west, to perform Umrah, a shorter version of the annual Hajj pilgrimage. While Hajj takes place only at a specific time every year, Umrah can be performed year-round. 

Saudi Arabia is also home to a large Indian diaspora. 

Edited by: Elizabeth Schumacher