At least 20 pilgrims were killed and nearly 30 others injured in a bus crash in southwestern Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, BBC reported. The bus was carrying the pilgrims to the Islamic holy city of Mecca when it hit a bridge in the province of Asir, overturned and caught fire.
The tragedy comes during the first week of Ramadan, a busy time for the Umrah pilgrimage. The accident also occurred just months before millions of Muslims are scheduled to come to Mecca on an annual Hajj pilgrimage.
State-affiliated Al Ekhbariya news channel said, "According to preliminary information we have now received, the number of deaths in this accident reached 20, and the total number of injuries was approximately 29."
READ | Afghanistan: Six Dead, Several Injured In Suicide Blast Near Foreign Ministry In Kabul
The report also said the victims were of "different nationalities" and they included several citizens of Saudi Arabia.
Several videos posted on social media showed the vehicle engulfed in flames. Footage aired on Al-Ekhbariya showed a reporter standing in front of what appeared to be the burnt-out shell of the bus.
While there has been no offcial statement on what led to the accident, newspaper Okaz said there was an issue with the brakes.
The vehicle "then collided with a bridge, overturned and caught fire", Okaz said.
The process of ferrying worshippers and pilgrims to different holy sites in the country is a difficult and dangerous task. The situation becomes even more difficult during the time of Hajj, when roads are usually chaotic and traffic is very bad.
In 2019, 35 Arab and Asian expatriates were killed when a bus collided with another vehicle as the travelled from Medina to Mecca for the Umrah.
In April 2018, about four British pilgrims were killed when a bus collided with a fuel tanker in Saudi Arabia.
In 2016, 19 people were killed when a bus overturned on a highway linking Medina and Mecca, while 22 others were injured.