According to Arab media, the pilgrims were travelling from Makkah to Madina on Monday morning when their bus collided with an oil tanker. After the crash, both vehicles caught fire. Reports said the bus carried around 42 to 45 passengers from Hyderabad in the Indian state of Telangana. Women and children were also among the travellers.

Local media stated that the fire after the collision may have increased the number of casualties. Saudi authorities continued rescue operations while trying to control the blaze.

Indian politician Asaduddin Owaisi told the media that, according to his information, 41 people had died in the accident. However, Saudi officials had not yet released any official number of deaths.

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The incident has raised serious concerns among safety experts, who note that long-route pilgrim transportation in the region often involves heavy traffic and mixed commercial vehicles sharing the same road. Analysts say the intensity of the fire suggests that both vehicles were travelling at considerable speed, leaving little room for emergency response.

The uncertainty around the exact death toll also reflects challenges in early-stage disaster reporting, especially when multiple agencies are involved. Experts believe the investigation will focus on road safety standards, driver fatigue and the condition of both vehicles, as these factors commonly contribute to such high-fatality crashes.