35 Foreign Pilgrims Killed In Road Accident In Medina, EAM Finding Out Details Of Indians

"Anguished by the news of a bus crash near Mecca in Saudi Arabia. Condolences to the families of those who lost their lives. Praying for a quick recovery of the injured," Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted.

Representational Picture (AFP)

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday expressed anguish over the death of 35 people in a horrific bus accident in Saudi Arabia. A private bus carrying thirty-five pilgrims which included Asians and Arabs, collided with another heavy vehicle near the Muslim holy city of Medina, Saudi state media said on Thursday. "Anguished by the news of a bus crash near Mecca in Saudi Arabia. Condolences to the families of those who lost their lives. Praying for a quick recovery of the injured," the prime minister tweeted. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar offered "deepest condolences" to the families of the victims of the tragic bus crash. He said the details of Indians being involved in the accident is being ascertained.

Anguished by the news of a bus crash near Mecca in Saudi Arabia. Condolences to the families of those who lost their lives. Praying for a quick recovery of the injured.

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 17, 2019

The accident on Wednesday involved a collision between "a private chartered bus... with a heavy vehicle (loader)" near the western Saudi Arabian city, a spokesman for Medina police said, according to the official Saudi Press Agency. The injured were rushed to Al-Hamna Hospital while the authorities have a launched an investigation. The magnitude of the accident was such that all the windows of the were blown out. Major accidents in the past:  April 2018: Four British pilgrims, 12 injured after their bus which was on its way to Mecca collided with an oil tanker January 2017: Six British nationals, including a two-month-old baby, were killed in a minibus on their way to Medina. September 2015: A deadly stampede claimed lives of at least 2,300 worshippers -- including hundreds of Iranians. It's worst worst disaster ever to strike the Hajj annual pilgrimage. September 2015: 107 people killed when a construction crane toppled into a courtyard of Mecca's Grand Mosque.