A bus carrying pilgrims to Mecca, Saudi Arabia caught fire after a collision on a bridge on Monday, killing 20 people and injuring about 30, state television reported.

The accident in the province of Asir (south) highlights the ongoing problem of transporting pilgrims to Mecca and Medina, two of the holiest cities for Muslims.

It is celebrated in the first week of the month of Ramadan, when many Muslims make the (‘small’) Umra pilgrimage, and a few months before the (‘big’) annual Hajj pilgrimage.

“According to preliminary information, the death toll in the accident has reached 20 people, and the total number of injured is about 30,” the Saudi television channel Al-Ikhbariya reported.

The victims were “of different nationalities,” according to the same source, who did not provide further details.

Al-Ikhbariya aired footage of its correspondent standing in front of the charred carcass of the bus.

Transporting pilgrims on the Saudi road network can be dangerous, especially during the Hajj, when buses full of worshipers form endless traffic jams.

In October 2019, 35 foreigners were killed and four others were injured when a bus collided with a heavy vehicle near Medina.

Muslim pilgrimages are the engine of tourism in Saudi Arabia, a sector that the kingdom’s political leadership relies on as it seeks to diversify its economy, which is critically dependent on fossil fuels.

Source: RES-IPE