2 die, 18 injured in Omani Umrah pilgrims’ road crash

A bus carrying pilgrims from Oman was involved in a road accident. Photo: Oman Foreign Ministry

Two Omani citizens died on Wednesday when the bus carrying them to perform Umrah in Saudi Arabia crashed.

Eighteen others were injured in the accident, the Omani embassy in Riyadh said, adding it was assisting them in seeking treatment.

The embassy shared a photo of the accident scene, showing one side of a white bus with heavy damage.

The bodies of those killed will be taken to Oman.

Oman’s Ministry of Endowment and Religious Affairs said in April that 6,338 pilgrims would visit Makkah for Umrah this year, about half pre-pandemic levels.

Saudi Arabia said there was an increase of 11.61 per cent last year, in the number of people undertaking Umrah, compared to 2020 when coronavirus travel restrictions hindered the pilgrimage.

More than three million Saudis performed the pilgrimage in 2021, and 3.4 million non-Saudis.

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