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A bus carrying pilgrims to the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia crashed into a bridge on Monday (March 27). After the collision, it caught fire, in which 20 people died and more than two dozen people were injured.
Saudi Arabian state media reported that 29 other people were injured in the accident. Most of the dead were pilgrims who were on their way to the city of Mecca to perform Umrah (a form of pilgrimage in Islam) during the holy month of Ramadan.
According to media reports, the bus caught fire after hitting the bridge and overturning. Footage of the incident has been broadcast on TV, in which the bus is seen completely burnt. The accident was reportedly caused by brake failure of the vehicle in the southwestern Asir province bordering Yemen. The incident took place in the first week of Ramzan. When many people travel during the holy month of Ramadan to enjoy dinner with family and friends.
Saudi Civil Defense and Red Crescent Authority teams have reached the crash site and cordoned off the area. Along with this, the injured have been admitted to the nearest hospital. At present, the dead have not been identified. Investigation is going on in this regard.
The risk of accidents increases in Ramadan
Those who lost their lives in the bus accident had come from different countries. This is the time of the year when the streets of Mecca and Medina become very busy. Vehicles carrying a large number of devotees ply on these routes throughout the day. In such a situation, there is always a danger of a major accident. Many times negligence in the maintenance of vehicles and lack of training of drivers is also responsible for such accidents.
