Four Britons killed in Saudi Arabia coach crash
The four pilgrims died near Mecca after their coach was hit by a petrol tanker, which then caught fire and set the coach alight.
Monday 23 April 2018 06:19, UK
Four Britons have died after their coach collided with a petrol tanker in Saudi Arabia.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office confirmed Britons were among a number of victims in the crash, which happened in a town roughly 30 miles (48km) north of the holy site of Mecca.
A spokesman said: "We are supporting the British families of those who have died and those injured following a serious road traffic accident near the town of Al Khalas, Saudi Arabia."
The coach was travelling between Mecca and Medina on Saturday afternoon when it was hit by the tanker, which then caught fire and set the coach alight.
One of the victims is understood to be Raj Begum Hussain, a 70-year-old woman of six with 13 grandchildren, from Blackburn. The three other victims were from Preston: an elderly man, an elderly woman and her son.
Their families are planning to fly to Saudi Arabia in the next few hours.
Saudi Arabia's embassy in London said in a statement: "The royal embassy of Saudi Arabia in London is working with (Britain's) Foreign Office to issue emergency visas immediately to both the relatives of the four pilgrims who died as well as to families of the 12 British pilgrims who were injured."
Many of those injured suffered fractures and are being treated at a hospital in Mecca.
The driver of the tanker is also said to have died.
Gulfaraz Zaman, director of Blackburn-based Hashim Travel company, said: "The coach driver said they were travelling in the opposite direction to the petrol tanker when a car overtook the tanker and he had to move in to the side of the road a little to let it through but then the petrol tanker hit the coach which caught fire."
The travel company specialises in arranging Hajj and Umrah pilgrimages, which it says it has done for 15 years.