Indian national dies after Riyadh airport attack, 11 Indians injured
By Shamyak
Published · Updated
Latest updates
- : An Indian injured in the attack has died, the embassy confirmed; the Houthis claimed the strike; helpline and flight suspension details added
One of the 11 Indians hurt in the 10 October strike died a day later, the Indian embassy confirmed. The Houthis claimed the attack. The helpline, the flight suspensions, and what families still don't know.
Original report
An Indian man in Saudi Arabia for Umrah with his family died on 11 October 2026 of injuries from the 10 October attack on Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport, the Indian embassy and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar confirmed, Sunday Guardian reported. He was 46 and was hit by falling debris while waiting to travel to Madinah, the paper said.
He was one of the 11 Indians the embassy had said were injured. At least 10 other Indians are among the more than 300 hurt, Deccan Herald, The New Indian Express and Mint reported on 11 October. See how every outlet covered his death
What we know
Relatives travelling with him were also injured, Sunday Guardian reported, and NDTV's headline says two of his sons are in hospital. The embassy is coordinating the early return of his remains to India, according to Sunday Guardian.
We are not naming him or his relatives: the reports we read spell his name differently, and we found no official release of the names.
The Houthis claimed the strike
The Houthis claimed responsibility for the Saturday missile strike and warned that all Saudi airports are targets, Tribune India reported. Saudi Arabia extended the airport's closure until 9 pm on Sunday, 11 October, the same report said.
Saudi authorities put the toll at 12 killed and 309 injured, Zee News reported; Tribune India gives more than 300 injured. The 12 dead that Tribune India lists by nationality include no Indian, so it is not yet clear whether the Saudi count includes the man who died on 11 October.
What travellers and families can do now
- Helpline: the embassy's 8 October advisory, reported by Gulf News, lists the 24-hour Pravasi Bharatiya Sahayata Kendra toll-free line, 800 247 1234.
- The same advisory asks Indians in Saudi Arabia to "stay indoors as necessary, and follow instructions issued by local authorities".
- Flights: Air India has suspended Riyadh flights until 15 October and Air India Express until 14 October, Sunday Guardian reported on 10 October. Both offer full refunds; Air India Express also offers free rescheduling.
What we don't know yet
- Whether the Saudi toll of 12 includes the Indian who died.
- The condition and home states of the other 10 injured Indians.
- Whether the embassy has set up a helpline just for this attack.
- IndiGo's Riyadh schedule: we found no update in the reports we read.
How the coverage differs
Outlets led on different parts of the same news. Sunday Guardian and Indian Express led on the man and his family's Umrah trip. The New Indian Express headline paired the death with the MEA condemning the strikes. Mint's headline carried the embassy calling the attack "completely unacceptable". The Hindu's stressed that he died a day after being injured.
The attack is part of a wider war we track: Iran war timeline: US, Israel and Iran from 28 February to 6 October, and India's stakes.
Questions people are asking
Did any Indian die in the Riyadh airport attack?
Yes. One Indian man died of his injuries on 11 October, the Indian embassy confirmed, Sunday Guardian reported.
How many Indians were injured in the Riyadh airport attack?
The embassy first said 11. One of them has died, and at least 10 others are injured, Deccan Herald, The New Indian Express and Mint reported.
Is there a helpline for Indians in Saudi Arabia?
Yes: the 24-hour Pravasi Bharatiya Sahayata Kendra toll-free number, 800 247 1234, listed in the embassy's 8 October advisory, Gulf News reported.
What happens next
Air India's Riyadh suspension runs until 15 October, Sunday Guardian reported. The embassy is working on the early return of the man's remains; no date has been given.
How we did this
We read Sunday Guardian on the death, Tribune India on the toll and the Houthi claim, Gulf News on the embassy advisory, Sunday Guardian on flights and Zee News for the embassy's first count. We compared the headlines of 8 outlets in our coverage of his death and our earlier coverage of the attack. We could not open the NDTV, The Hindu, Indian Express, New Indian Express, Mint and Deccan Herald pages, so we cite their headlines only.
This story was produced with AI assistance and reviewed, edited and verified by the reporter before publication.
Covered by 11 outlets across the spectrum: 36% left, 28% center, 36% right.
Who is covering this story
- Left-leaning (4): Indian Express, NDTV, The New Indian Express, The Hindu
- Center (3): Deccan Herald, Tribune India, Mint
- Right-leaning (3): Zee News English, Sunday Guardian, Gulf News
Sources
- Riyadh airport attack: Indian on Umrah dies of injuries, at least 10 Indians hurt — Zee News English (right-leaning) ·
- Indian killed in attack on Riyadh airport was there for Umrah with family — Indian Express (left-leaning) ·
- Riyadh airport attack: Indian on Umrah dies of injuries, at least 10 Indians hurt — Sunday Guardian (right-leaning) ·
- Riyadh airport attack: Indian on Umrah dies of injuries, at least 10 Indians hurt — Deccan Herald (center) ·
- Riyadh airport attack: Indian on Umrah dies of injuries, at least 10 Indians hurt — Gulf News (right-leaning) ·
- Riyadh airport attack: Indian on Umrah dies of injuries, at least 10 Indians hurt — NDTV (left-leaning) ·
- Riyadh airport attack: Indian on Umrah dies of injuries, at least 10 Indians hurt — The New Indian Express (left-leaning) ·
- Riyadh airport attack: Indian on Umrah dies of injuries, at least 10 Indians hurt — The Hindu (left-leaning) ·
- Riyadh airport attack: Indian on Umrah dies of injuries, at least 10 Indians hurt — Tribune India (center) ·
- Riyadh airport attack: Indian on Umrah dies of injuries, at least 10 Indians hurt — Mint (center) ·
- Riyadh airport attack: Indian on Umrah dies of injuries, at least 10 Indians hurt — Sunday Guardian (right-leaning) ·