Al-Azhar mourns the victims of the horrific Umrah pilgrims' accident in Medina.

Arab Sea Newspaper - Follow-ups

The Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb, expressed his deep sorrow and grief over the death of dozens of Indian pilgrims in the horrific accident that occurred on Monday morning on the road between Mecca and Medina, which resulted in the death of 45 pilgrims and the injury of one survivor with serious injuries. Al-Azhar said in a statement that the Grand Imam extends his sincere condolences to the families of the victims, praying to God to shower them with His vast mercy and forgiveness, to grant their families patience and solace, and to grant the injured a speedy recovery. The accident occurred when a bus carrying 46 Indian pilgrims - most of them from the state of Telangana - collided with a fuel tanker truck, which led to the bus catching fire and a large number of victims being charred, according to video clips circulating on social media. The Indian authorities confirmed that the death toll had reached 45 people, while the Indian Embassy in Riyadh and its consulate in Jeddah announced the activation of an emergency room to follow up on the procedures for transferring the bodies and providing full support to the families of the victims in coordination with the Saudi authorities. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi also mourned the victims, expressing his deep sorrow and confirming continued communication with the relevant authorities in Saudi Arabia. For its part, the Saudi Civil Defense and Ambulance teams began at the scene of the accident and temporarily closed the road to complete the investigations, suggesting that the initial cause of the accident was loss of control or speeding.