New Delhi – Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted in Arabic to express condolences to the families of the 35 Muslim passengers who died in a bus accident near Makkah in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday.
He tweeted that, “Anguished by the news of a bus crash near Mecca in Saudi Arabia. Condolences to the families of those who lost their lives. Praying for a quick recovery of the injured.”
أشعر بالقلق إزاء خبر حادث حافلة قرب مكة في المملكة العربية السعودية. أقدم واجب العزاء لأسر الذين فقدوا حياتهم. وأدعو الشفاء العاجل للجرحى.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 17, 2019
Local media reports stated that 35 people died on the scene after a horrific accident that occurred on Markaz Al-Akhal, 170 km from Madinah, when the bus, which was carrying 39 pilgrims from Riyadh, collided with a wheel loader while it was on its way from Madinah to Makkah.
All the victims are reported to be from Asian and Arab nationalities.