Pakistani pilgrims among those dead in Saudi bus crash: FO

ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office has confirmed that Pakistani nationals were among those dead in Saudi Arabia bus accident, ARY News reported on Thursday.

In a statement, the FO spokesperson said that a bus carrying 39 passengers from Riyadh to Makkah met an unfortunate accident near Madinah.

The statement further reads that at least 35 passengers out of total 39 have lost their lives and initial reports indicate that the deceased also include a certain number of Pakistani nationals.

It said that of the four survivors, there is one Pakistani named Akbar, who is seriously injured.

“The Pakistan Consulate General in Jeddah has established contact with him and is in touch with the concerned Saudi authorities and staff of the King Fahad Hospital, Madinah to ascertain details of casualties of Pakistani nationals,” said a statement.

The FO has released the following numbers that can be contacted for information/ facilitation.

Majid Hussain Memon

CWA Consulate Jeddah 00966-532347340

Tariq Mehmod, Director (Hajj)

Madinah 00966-583723184, 00966-580903349

Abdul Shakoor Sheikh

CWA, Pak Embassy, Riyadh 00966-552773332.

At least 35 foreigners were killed and four others injured when a bus collided with another heavy vehicle near Madina, Saudi state media said on Thursday.

The accident on Wednesday took place on Hijra road, 170 km from Madina, when a privately chartered bus carrying 39 passengers collided with a loader, a spokesman for Madina police said, according to the official Saudi Press Agency.