Saudi- Four Pakistani pilgrims dead, 17 injured in highway crash

(MENAFN- Arab News) In a tragic accident, four Pakistani Umrah pilgrims were killed and 17 injured when their minibus overturned while traveling to Makkah from Jeddah on Tuesday. The accident occurred at 2 a.m. when the 25 pilgrims were heading to the holy city after landing in Jeddah. The crash happened near the Bahra flyover. Saudi Red Crescent and Civil Defense teams rushed to the spot. A total of 28 ambulances including three helicopters were used to transport the injured pilgrims to nearby hospitals in Jeddah and Makkah. The highway was blocked by security teams to allow helicopters to land and ambulances to access the area. The 17 injured pilgrims are being treated at different hospitals in Jeddah and Makkah, said Hattan Al-Bojani, director of emergency and crisis management at the ministry in Makkah region. Most of the pilgrims are from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The dead are two men and two women whose bodies have been sent to Jeddah's King Abdulaziz Hospital mortuary. All four were in the state of ihram, eyewitnesses told Arab News. The authorities are trying to establish the identity of the dead. The Pakistan Consulate is working to obtain further details and monitoring the case. Syed Tahseem-ul-Haq Haqqi from the consulate said the reasons for the accident were unclear, but it seemed the driver was speeding. Some of the women admitted to the hospital were screaming in pain. The injured who were conscious spoke in Pashtu and Hindko.