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Patna, Nov 17 (IANS) RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, former Chief Minister Rabri Devi and opposition leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav on Monday expressed deep grief over the tragic death of Indian pilgrims in a bus accident near Medina, Saudi Arabia.
The leaders expressed heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and prayed for strength and patience for those affected.
According to reports, a bus carrying pilgrims collided with a diesel tanker near Al Mufarrihat, 27 km from Medina, during Umrah.
The vehicle caught fire after the collision.
At least 45 Indian citizens died in this accident.
The victims reportedly included a large number of women and children – about 20 women and 11 children were on board the boat.
Many passengers were sleeping at that time, resulting in a large number of casualties.
Most of the victims are believed to be residents of Hyderabad and Telangana.
The bus was heading towards Medina after the pilgrims completed their religious rituals (Arakan) in Mecca.
Saudi emergency services are engaged in rescue and relief operations at the scene.
In light of the tragedy, the Consulate General of India in Jeddah has set up a 24/7 control room and issued helpline numbers for assistance.
Apart from the top leadership, many senior RJD leaders have also expressed grief over this fatal accident.
These include Lok Sabha MP Dr. Misa Bharti, State President Mangani Lal Mandal, National Vice President Jagdanand Singh, Uday Narayan Choudhary, National General Secretary Abdul Bari Siddiqui, National Chief Spokesperson Prof. Manoj Kumar Jha, National General Secretary Syed Faisal Ali, Bhola Yadav, MP Surendra Prasad Yadav, Sanjay Yadav, National Treasurer Dr. Sunil Kumar Singh, State Vice President Dr. Tanveer Hasan, State General Secretary Ranvijay Sahu, State Chief Spokesperson Shakti Singh Yadav, and State Spokesperson Ejaz Ahmed.
RJD has said that in this hour of immense grief, it stands strongly with the bereaved families.
–IANS
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