JAKARTA: A bus carrying 24 Indonesian umrah pilgrims caught fire on a highway near Medina, Saudi Arabia, but all passengers escaped unharmed.
Indonesian Consul General in Jeddah Yusron Ambary confirmed there were no fatalities or injuries, adding that all pilgrims had been safely evacuated and transported using replacement buses.
He said the incident occurred on Thursday (March 26) local time during a journey from Mecca to Medina, about 50 kilometres from the city centre, after the vehicle passed the final checkpoint into the holy city.
"The driver immediately pulled over after a tyre burst and smoke appeared from the front of the bus. All passengers were asked to disembark,” he said according to Antara News Agency, on Saturday.
Yusron said there were 24 people on board the ill-fated bus, most of them from West Sumatra, while the driver was an Egyptian national.
"All pilgrims are safe and there are no physical injuries. All passports are also intact and were not burned,” Yusron said, adding that all luggage and personal belongings left inside the bus were destroyed in the fire.
He said the the Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia (KJRI) in Jeddah Protection Task Force had met with the group leader and representatives of the pilgrims in Medina on Friday night local time.
He said there was no indication of reckless driving, with preliminary findings pointing to a technical fault in the vehicle, adding that KJRI would continue to monitor the case, including any potential compensation from the transport operator.
According to KJRI the affected pilgrims are currently in good condition and staying at a hotel in Medina, although some children experienced mild trauma following the incident.
KJRI Jeddah said the pilgrims are scheduled to return to Indonesia on March 31 via a Garuda Indonesia flight from Medina. - Bernama
