Aqabat Shaar accident in Asir, Saudi Arabia.. What happened to 49 pilgrims?

11:18 PM

Monday, March 27, 2023

20 people were killed in a bus accident, which was carrying pilgrims, and thousands interacted on the Asir accident today, or what has become known as the Aqabat Shaar incident, on social media. And the Saudi Al-Ekhbariya channel reported, in urgent news, that the cause of the accident was a problem with the bus coming from Khamis Mushait Governorate, which hit a bridge before it overturned and caught fire.

On Twitter, many tweeted about the accident, and Suleiman Meshaal wrote, “Everything that is destined does not prevent anything from happening, asking for invitations for the deceased, among whom were pilgrims.” While many expressed their grief and contributed to the accident that occurred in Aqaba Shaar in the Asir region, Souad Al-Ahmad wrote, “The Aqaba accident is painful. Our only consolation is that they met their Lord in days full of blessings and goodness. May God protect the homeland and have mercy on the victims.”

The number of victims of the Asir accident rose to 20, and 29 people were injured. According to the Saudi newspaper Okaz, the accident was due to the ventilation of the bus’s brakes, before it collided with a bridge, overturned and caught fire.

According to Saudi media, the injured were transferred to Asir Central Hospital and Abha Private Hospital, after the Civil Defense teams, the Red Crescent and the security authorities inspected the site of the accident, which occurred this afternoon. The competent authorities are investigating the cause of the accident in the Asir region.

Dozens demanded an investigation into today’s accident, while others expressed their dissatisfaction with the recurrence of accidents in the Aqabat Shaar area, including landslides, rock falls and accidents of large trucks, at Aqabat Shaar, which is one of the oldest obstacles.

Hundreds of people offered their condolences on social media to the families of the victims of the Asir accident, asking for prayers for them to be patient, and for the departed to have mercy and forgiveness, while the pictures and videos that came out of the Asir accident today were widely circulated, during the past hours.

And the month of Ramadan is the most month of the year in which Umrah increases in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and according to the statistics of the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, the total permits issued to perform Umrah during the blessed month of Ramadan in 2022 exceeded 6 and a half million permits for pilgrims and visitors of different nationalities.