19 pilgrims killed in Saudi Arabia bus accident

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IANS Riyadh
Last Updated : Mar 19 2016 | 4:02 PM IST

At least 19 Arab pilgrims were killed and 22 injured on Saturday in a bus accident on a road linking Saudi Arabia's holy cities Makkah and Madina.

Initial reports said that the bus driver fell asleep and lost control of the vehicle, Xinhua reported.

All the pilgrims were of the same Arab nationality, the exact country unknown, while the driver was an Asian.

Deaths of pilgrims in accidents occur frequently in Saudi Arabia which has high traffic fatalities, mainly because of over speeding and reckless driving.

According to a report published on Arab News last year, at least one traffic accident occurs in the kingdom every minute. Saudi Arabia witnesses up to 7,000 deaths and over 39,000 injuries per year.

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First Published: Mar 19 2016 | 3:50 PM IST

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