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Karnataka man among 46 Indian Umrah pilgrims killed in Saudi Arabia bus inferno
Abdul Ghani Shirhatti from Hubballi was among 46 Indian Umrah pilgrims killed in a bus accident in Saudi Arabia.
A man from Karnataka’s Hubballi was among the victims of the devastating bus accident in Saudi Arabia that killed 46 Indian Umrah pilgrims. The deceased has been identified as Abdul Ghani Shirhatti, a resident of Ganeshpeth in Hubballi.
Former minister AM Hindasgeri confirmed Shirhatti’s death, noting that he had been working in Saudi Arabia for nearly 28 years, news agency ANI reported.
“It is a matter of deep regret that Abdul Ghani Shirhatti, who had been employed there for so long, went to perform Umrah and unfortunately lost his life in the accident involving the tanker. We pray to Allah to give his family strength and patience,” Hindasgeri told ANI.
(Also Read: Indian man loses 18 family members in Saudi crash, had urged them not to travel together)
According to Hyderabad Police Commissioner VC Sajjanar, at least 45 Indian Umrah pilgrims from Hyderabad and other parts of the country died when their bus caught fire near Medina. Of the 46 pilgrims on board, only one passenger, identified as Md Abdul Shoaib, survived. He has been admitted to the ICU of a Saudi hospital and remains in critical condition.
Sajjanar said the pilgrims were travelling from Makkah to Madinah when their bus collided with an oil tanker around 25 km before reaching Medina. The impact triggered an explosion, engulfing the vehicle in flames within minutes.
The Telangana government later announced an ex gratia of ₹5 lakh each for the families of those who died in the incident.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences, calling the tragedy deeply saddening.
In a post on X, he said the Indian Embassy in Riyadh and the Consulate in Jeddah were providing all necessary assistance and were in close coordination with Saudi authorities.
“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,” the Prime Minister wrote.
Google Trends
According to Google Trends, the search term “bus accident Saudi Arabia” saw a major spike on Tuesday morning, with the highest interest coming from Telangana, followed by Bihar, Jammu & Kashmir, Rajasthan, and Assam. Related breakout queries included “bus accident in Saudi Arabia,” “Saudi Arabia bus accident today,” “Saudi Arabia news bus accident,” and “Saudi Arabia news.”
(With agency inputs)
