Newsroom, November 17, 2025: The Indian government launched emergency helplines on Tuesday to assist families of the 40-plus Indian pilgrims killed in a Saudi Arabian bus-tanker collision on the Medina highway, where a fire trapped most victims, mostly from Hyderabad and Telangana, in a fiery inferno after the driver swerved into oncoming traffic.
The Ministry of External Affairs set up hotlines (1800-11-4433, +91-11-23012113) for updates on the dead and injured, coordinating with Riyadh for swift body repatriation expected within days.
Telangana CM A. Revanth Reddy mobilised officials to support the kin, while AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi pressed for immediate relief funds and consular help, calling it a "heart-wrenching loss for our community."
