Indian Umrah pilgrims killed in tragic bus accident near Madinah; Consulate sets up 24/7 helpline
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Jeddah: A tragic bus accident involving Indian Umrah pilgrims occurred late Sunday night near Madinah, Saudi Arabia, according to a press release from the Consulate General of India in Jeddah.
In response to the incident, the Consulate has activated a 24x7 Control Room and a series of helpline numbers to assist the pilgrims and their families.
In the statement, the Consulate expressed its "deepest condolences to the bereaved families."
The official helpline contact details are as follows:
1. Toll-free: 8002440003
2. Telephone: 00966122614093, 00966126614276
3. WhatsApp: 00966556122301
Both the Indian Embassy in Riyadh and the Consulate in Jeddah are "extending fullest support" and are in close communication with Saudi authorities, including the Saudi Haj and Umrah Ministry and local officials. The missions are also coordinating with the concerned Umrah tour operators.
A team of Consulate staff and Indian community volunteers has been deployed to the ground to assist at various hospitals and sites.
Officials from the Embassy and Consulate are also in touch with concerned officials from the State of Telangana to coordinate support for the affected families.
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Rupee falls 9 paise to all-time low of 90.58 against US dollar in early trade
Mumbai (PTI): Rupee depreciated 9 paise to an all-time low of 90.58 against US dollar in early trade on Monday, weighed down by uncertainty over an India-US trade deal and persistent foreign fund outflows.
Forex traders said rupee is trading with a negative bias as investors are in wait and watch mode and awaiting cues from the India-US trade deal front.
At the interbank foreign exchange market, the rupee opened at 90.53 against the US dollar, then fell further to an all-time intraday low of 90.58 against the greenback, registering a fall of 9 paise over its previous close.
On Friday, the rupee had slipped 17 paise to close at an all-time low of 90.49 against the American currency.
Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, was trading 0.05 per cent lower at 98.35.
Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, was trading higher by 0.52 per cent at USD 61.44 per barrel in futures trade.
On the domestic equity market front, the 30-share benchmark index Sensex was trading 298.86 points lower at 84,968.80, while the Nifty was down 121.40 points at 25,925.55.
Foreign Institutional Investors sold equities worth Rs 1,114.22 crore on Friday, according to exchange data.
"FPIs continue to be in selling mode in equity and debt while RBI has been selling dollars to fund their long positions," said Anil Kumar Bhansali, Head of Treasury and Executive Director Finrex Treasury Advisors LLP.
