Does This Video Show Recent Saudi Bus Accident Which Killed Indian Pilgrims? No!
A viral clip of a burning bus is NOT from the recent Saudi Arabia accident. It is an old video from 2023
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A clip showing a bus engulfed in flames is being widely circulated on X, formerly Twitter, as visuals from the tragic accident that occurred on 17 November 2025 in Saudi Arabia.
The recent crash claimed the lives of at least 42 Indian Umrah pilgrims travelling from Mecca to Madinah.
What's the claim?: Posts claim that the viral clip shows the 17 November 2025 bus accident.
What we found: We ran keyframes of the video through Google reverse image search.
We found multiple posts on X about the bus accident that occurred on 27 March 2023 in the Asir region of Saudi Arabia, carrying the same clip.
A relevant keyword search for the 2023 Asir bus accident led us to reports by The Siasat Daily which carried identical visuals.
It said that passengers were travelling from Khamis Mushait Governorate to Mecca Al-Mukarramah to perform Umrah when the bus overturned and caught fire, killing 20 people.
We also found authentic visuals from the recent accident, which do not match the viral clip.
Following the 2025 accident, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences for those injured and deceased.
Conclusion: The viral clip is not from the 17 November 2025 accident involving Indian Umrah pilgrims. It is an old video from a March 2023 bus crash in Saudi Arabia’s Asir region.
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