Saudi road accident claims lives of seven Bangladeshis, 6 injured

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Seven Bangladeshi nationals were killed and six others injured in a road accident in Saudi Arabia early Saturday while travelling from Madina to Jeddah.

The accident occurred around 2:00 AM at Al-Himnah, a senior official told UNB.

Among the seven deceased, four were members of Ziaur Rahman's family, two belonged to Alam Shah's family and one was from Elias's family.

Ziaur Rahman, his daughter Bushra and two sons, Yasir and Yazan, died in the accident. His wife, Shakira, was injured and is receiving treatment at Khulais General Hospital, northwest of Makkah. Another daughter, Yusra, is being treated at King Abdulaziz Hospital in Jeddah.

The bodies of Ziaur Rahman and his three children have been kept at Al-Himnah General Hospital.

From Alam Shah's family, his wife Sanjida and daughter Fariar were killed. Their bodies are being kept at Al-Himnah General Hospital and Khulais General Hospital respectively.

Alam Shah was injured but left the hospital after receiving treatment. His son Faisal is undergoing treatment at East Jeddah Hospital.

In Elias's family, his wife Afsana Bibi was killed, while he sustained injuries. Elias left Al-Himnah Hospital after receiving treatment, while his wife's body was kept at Khulais General Hospital. Afsana had arrived in Saudi Arabia a few days earlier to perform Umrah.

Another injured passenger, Gafur Alam, is receiving treatment at Khulais General Hospital.

According to a preliminary report from the Bangladesh Consulate in Jeddah, all 13 victims were members of three Bangladeshi families from Cox's Bazar. Four were employees of Al-Abir Company, while the remaining victims were their family members.

After receiving news of the accident, the consulate took immediate steps to gather information. Its Labour Counsellor, accompanied by a legal assistant, visited the Khulais Traffic Office and spoke with the relevant officials.

Preliminary findings by Saudi traffic authorities indicate that the vehicle was being driven by a Pakistani national at an estimated speed of 160 kilometres per hour before losing control and overturning.

However, the driver claimed that a tyre burst caused the accident. The actual cause will be established after authorities complete their investigation and publish the final report.