India, Nov. 17 -- At least 45 Indian Umrah pilgrims, all from Telangana's Hyderabad, were killed after a passenger bus carrying devotees from Mecca to Madinah collided with a diesel tanker early on Monday morning, the state government said.

The incident occurred around 1.30am IST at Mufrihat, about 160km from Madinah and there were over 40 passengers on the bus, with only one known survivor so far as all the others were charred to death on the spot, according to initial reports received by the state government.

The group, said to have departed from Hyderabad on November 9, had 20 women and 11 children. They had completed their Umrah rituals in Mecca and were on their way to Madinah when tragedy struck.

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