Published on 28.03.2023
A bus carrying pilgrims bound for Mecca, Saudi Arabia, burst into flames after colliding with a bridge on Monday. The accident left 20 dead and injured around 30 people, according to Saudi state television.
The accident, which took place in the southern province of Asir, underlines the constant challenge of the safety of transporting pilgrims to Mecca and Medina, the two holiest cities in Islam.
It comes during the first week of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, when many Muslims perform the Umrah (minor pilgrimage) pilgrimage, and a few months before the annual hajj pilgrimage.
“According to preliminary information we received, the death toll in this accident reached 20, and the total number of injured was around 29,” state broadcaster Al-Ekhbariya reported.
perilous journey
The victims are of “different nationalities”, according to the channel, which did not give further details. Al-Ekhbariya released footage showing a reporter standing in front of what appeared to be the charred carcass of a bus.
Transporting pilgrims on the roads of Saudi Arabia can be perilous, especially during the hajj, when endless traffic jams are created by buses full of worshippers. In October 2019, 35 foreigners were killed and four others injured in the collision between a bus and another heavy vehicle near Medina.
However, pilgrimages remain a crucial part of the tourism sector, which Saudi leaders rely on to diversify their fossil fuel-dependent economy.
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