Four Britons killed in Saudi pilgrimage coach crash

FOUR Britons died and 12 others were injured on a pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia when their coach crashed.

The bus burst into flames when it was hit by a fuel tanker during the trip from Mecca to Medina on Saturday.

Those killed are believed to have been trapped on the burning coach while the survivors leapt out of the windows.

Last night Raj Begum Hussain, a 70year- old woman from Blackburn, was named as one of those who was killed.

Another woman in her 60s and her adult son, both from Preston, and a man in his 70s, also from Preston, died after apparently becoming trapped in the blaze.

The driver of the petrol tanker is also understood to have died.

Six of the injured remained in hospital last night with injuries including broken legs, broken noses and smashed teeth.

The tourists had flown to Saudi Arabia on April 15 after booking a ‘pilgrimage package’ with Hashim Travel, based in Blackburn, and were due to return at the end of this week. Relatives were expected to arrive in Saudi Arabia this morning.

Gulfaraz Zaman, of Hashim Travel, said there had been 16 British tourists on the coach and two Saudi nationals. Among the injured are Britons from Accrington, Preston, Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Northampton and Blackburn.

Mr Zaman said: ‘The coach driver said they were travelling in the opposite direc-

‘They were family friends – it’s truly tragic’

tion 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.

‘We have been doing this pilgrimage for 20 years and this is the first incident.

‘It is very distressing and our thoughts are with the families of the deceased. I know these people personally, they were family friends. It is truly tragic.

‘Those who managed to escape the fire jumped through the windows but those who were unable to do so remained on the coach and they are the ones who died. The fire left only the metal frame of the coach behind.

‘My own father has flown out to discuss the events because all of their passports were burned in the fire.’

The crash happened roughly 30 miles from the holy site of Mecca at 1pm local time. The group were on an Islamic pilgrimage known as the Umrah – a smaller version of the annual Hajj.

A Foreign Office spokesman said that it was supporting the British families of those who had died.