Bus crash kills Egyptian pilgrims in Saudi Arabia

At least 19 pilgrims have been killed and 22 injured when a bus crashed in Saudi Arabia on Saturday.

1 min read

19 March, 2016

Thousands of pilgrims visit Saudi Arabia each year [File Photo: Getty]

At least 19 Egyptian pilgrims died and 22 others were injured when a bus overturned in western Saudi Arabia on Saturday.

Among the dead was a child, the tourism ministry in Cairo said.

"Nineteen people were killed when the bus carrying them turned over on the Hijra road," between the coastal city of Jeddah and the holy city of Medina, said Saudi Red Crescent spokesman Khaled Ben Messaed al-Sihli.

"All the bus passengers have the same nationality of an Arab country, except the driver who is Asian," he said.

Another 22 people were injured including some who were badly hurt.

Millions of Muslims visit Saudi Arabia each year to perform Umrah and Hajj, a minor and major pilgrimage expected of those following Islam.

The magnitude of numbers has been a major cause of concern for Saudi authorities who have begun plans to expand the holy sites. A stampede during the hajj last September killed about 2,300 foreign pilgrims, according to data from foreign officials.