This archive report was first published on 17 October 2019.
On October 17, 2019, a devastating bus crash occurred near the holy city of Medina in Saudi Arabia, claiming the lives of 35 foreigners and injuring four others.
The accident involved a collision between a private chartered bus and a heavy vehicle, a loader, near the western Saudi Arabian city, according to a spokesman for Medina police, as reported by the official Saudi Press Agency.
The victims were Arab and Asian pilgrims, local media reported, sharing images of the bus engulfed in flames and with its windows blown out.
The injured have been transferred to Al-Hamna Hospital, and authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of the accident.
This tragic incident comes after a series of fatal accidents in Saudi Arabia, including the deaths of four British pilgrims in April 2018 and six Britons, including a two-month-old baby, in January 2017.
The Saudi government is working to diversify its oil-dependent economy by fostering a year-round religious tourism sector, which includes millions of pilgrims.
As part of this effort, the country has begun issuing visas to tourists, in addition to Muslim pilgrims and foreign workers, in an attempt to prepare for a post-oil era.
Tragically, Saudi Arabia has experienced several major disasters in recent years, including a stampede in September 2015 that killed up to 2,300 worshippers and a construction crane collapse that killed 100 people earlier that month.
