Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Monday expressed condolences and deep shock over the tragic bus-tanker collision that killed 45 Indian Umrah pilgrims, including 20 women and 11 children, in Saudi Arabia's Madinah.
"My deepest condolences to the bereaved families in this hour of grief. I hope the injured pilgrim receives full medical care and recovers soon," CM Stalin said in an X post.
AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami said that he was anguished over the incident.
"I express my deepest condolences to the families of the deceased and pray to the Almighty God to rest the souls of the deceased in eternal peace," Palaniswami said in a tweet.
The bus, carrying 46 passengers, reportedly had a lone survivor, Shoaib who managed to escape by jumping out of the bus after breaking the window, sustaining burns in his hands. Most passengers were asleep at the time of the incident, worsening the impact. The bodies are charred beyond recognition.
The accident reportedly occurred around 1:30 am IST at Mufrahath, between Badr and Madinah. Most of the victims hailed from Telangana's Hyderabad. The pilgrims were scheduled to return back home on November 23.