A traffic accident during media coverage of the Aqaba Shaar road accident caused the death and injury of dozens of pilgrims. On Monday, a bus transporting passengers carrying Saudis and residents of different nationalities was involved in a traffic accident at Aqaba Shaar in Asir, southwest of the Kingdom, during their journey to perform Umrah. The accident resulted in 21 deaths and approximately 29 injuries. Activists circulated a video clip of the accident, during which the bus caught fire while on top of one of the bridges at the Shaar obstacle. Sources state that the cause of the accident was the ventilation of the bus’s brakes, causing it to collide with a bridge, overturn and catch fire. The official Saudi news channel covering the accident documented the occurrence of a traffic accident live. The incident underscores the challenges facing Saudi Arabia in ensuring the safety of people arriving to perform Umrah or Hajj. The transportation to the holy sites in Saudi Arabia is often an arduous and risky task. In October 2019, 35 people of Asian and Arab nationalities died in the city when a passenger bus collided with a truck.
A Saudi official channel recorded a live traffic accident during the media coverage of the Aqaba Shaar road accident, which was described as a “disaster” and caused the death and injury of dozens of pilgrims.
On Monday afternoon, a bus transporting passengers carrying Saudis and residents of different nationalities was involved in a traffic accident at Aqaba Shaar in Asir, southwest of the Kingdom, during their journey to perform Umrah.
21 people were killed as a result of the traffic accident, while the injuries amounted to about 29, according to the newspaper.preceded” Saudi Arabia.
Activists circulated a video clip of the accident, during which the bus appeared on fire while the fire was escalating at the top of one of the bridges at the Shaar obstacle.
Sources told the newspaper.Okaz” Saudi Arabia, that the cause of the accident was the ventilation of the bus’s brakes, and then it collided with a bridge, overturned and caught fire.
On Monday evening, while the official Saudi news channel was covering the traffic accident, which was described as a “disaster,” the camera documented the occurrence of a traffic accident live.
The channel’s correspondent said that the accident, which occurred live, was the result of the danger of the site and poor maintenance work there.
The incident highlights the challenges facing Saudi Arabia in terms of ensuring the safety of those arriving to it to perform Umrah or Hajj, according to Agence France-Presse.
The accident comes in the first week of Ramadan, a few months before the start of the Hajj season.
Transportation to the holy sites in Saudi Arabia, whether to perform Umrah or Hajj, is a arduous and sometimes risky task, as buses often cause traffic jams.
And in October 2019, 35 people of Asian and Arab nationalities died in the city when a passenger bus collided with a truck, according to “Agence France Presse”.
Tragic accidents like the Aqaba Shaar road disaster serve as a grim reminder of the risks that come with traveling to perform Umrah or Hajj in Saudi Arabia. With transportation to the holy sites often posing a challenge and potential danger, it is imperative that all necessary measures are taken to ensure the safety of pilgrims. Our thoughts go out to the families and loved ones of the victims, and we hope for a swift recovery for those injured in the accident. It is vital that steps are taken to prevent such disasters from occurring in the future.