A major road accident near Medina in Saudi Arabia has claimed the lives of 42 Indian pilgrims, and 18 of them were from one Hyderabad-based family. Nine of the family members who died were children.

The group had travelled for Umrah and was supposed to return home on Saturday. Speaking to NDTV, Mohammed Asif said, “My sister-in-law, brother-in-law, their son, three daughters, and their children went (for Umrah)… They were supposed to return on Saturday.”

He added that they were in regular contact until tragedy struck. “Eighteen members of one family -- nine adults and nine children -- have died. It is a terrible tragedy for us,” he said.

Asif named some of his relatives who died: Naseeruddin (70), Akhter Begum (62), Salauddin (42), Amina (44), Rizwana (38), Shabana (40), and their children.

At the Ramnagar home of the family, grief filled the air as relatives gathered. When keys to the house were brought from a neighbour, Naseeruddin’s sister broke down, crying, “My brother’s entire family has been wiped out.”

According to reports, most of the passengers were from Hyderabad. The accident happened around 30 km from Medina, when their bus collided with a diesel tanker.

The crash took place late in the night when many were sleeping, making it hard for them to escape as the vehicle caught fire.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was “deeply saddened” by the tragedy. He added that Indian officials in Riyadh and Jeddah were providing all help and were in close contact with Saudi authorities.

The Indian Consulate in Jeddah has opened a 24x7 control room for assistance. A helpline has also been released: Toll-free: 8002440003.

Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy also expressed sorrow and asked state officials to coordinate with the Indian consulate. “The government will stand by the affected families. I pray that they remain strong,” he said.