‘Bus Jal Gayi, Driver Bach Gaya’: Eyewitness Call Goes Viral From Saudi Bus Tragedy

After a horrific bus accident in Saudi Arabia in which at least 42 Indian Umrah pilgrims are feared dead, a man believed to be from Hyderabad who witnessed the crash informed people back home, urging them to check on their family members travelling to Madina.

This comes after at least 42 Indian Umrah pilgrims were feared dead after a passenger bus traveling from Mecca to Medina collided with a diesel tanker in Saudi Arabia in the early hours of Monday,

In a viral video, reportedly recorded close to the crash site, a man is heard narrating the chain of events to somebody on the call. The call opens with a greeting and then describes the tragedy the caller has just witnessed.

“Information dena ye hai ke, Mecca se Madina ko bus aa rahi thi bhai… Wo

bus poori jal gayi. Usme se ek aadmi, ek driver bach gaya bhai. Munawwar bol ke naam bata raha. Hyderabad ke log hai usme. (I want to inform you that a bus travelling from Mecca to Medina has caught fire. Only one man, a driver, survived. He is identifying himself as Munawwar. People from Hyderabad were on board),” NDTV quoted the caller as saying.

“Agar koi bhi hai, apne gharo ko maloom kar lo bhai thoda. Me bhi abhi abhi bus ko dekha. Me takleef bardasht nahi ho rahi bhai. Me video nikala. Ek aadmi merko number diya. Me phone kar ke logo ko itelah kar raha hu. (Please check with your families. I just saw the bus. I can’t bear the pain. I recorded the accident on camera. A man gave me a number, and I am calling people to inform them,” he added.

The caller ends the phone call by saying this is all he could do – inform.

According to the preliminary reports, many of the victims were from Hyderabad, including 20 women and 11 children. Rescue operations continued through the night, with locals rushing to assist those critically injured.

While media sources suggest that over 40 passengers may have died on the spot, official confirmation of the casualty count is still awaited. Mohammad Abdul Shoeb is reportedly the lone survivor of the bus crash and is currently in hospital.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday expressed deep sorrow over the tragic accident in Medinah, Saudi Arabia, involving Indian nationals. In a post on X, the Prime Minister said he was “deeply saddened” by the loss of lives and extended his condolences to the families mourning 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. Our officials are also in close contact with Saudi Arabian authorities,” he wrote on X.

A control room has been established at Telangana Bhavan in New Delhi, and efforts are underway to gather full details of the accident and confirm how many individuals from Telangana were involved.

The Consulate General of India in Jeddah called it a “tragic” bus accident, and set up a 24×7 control room — 8002440003.