Egypt has dispatched a legal team to Saudi Arabia to follow up on a bus crash that killed two Egyptian Umrah pilgrims and injured 25 others near Al-Jumum, according to a statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on Sunday, 6 September.
The bus was travelling from Medina to Mecca on Saturday evening when the accident occurred. It was carrying 47 Egyptian pilgrims travelling with a private tourism company.
Seven of the injured remain in intensive care, while the others were treated and discharged from hospitals before being accommodated at their hotels in Mecca. The injuries range from minor to moderate, according to the ministry.
Following the accident, Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty directed the Egyptian Consulate in Jeddah to provide the affected pilgrims with consular and legal assistance and to coordinate with Saudi authorities investigating the cause of the crash.
The consulate dispatched a delegation to the accident site and hospitals to check on the injured, help them contact their families in Egypt, and coordinate burial procedures for the two deceased pilgrims.
Egyptian authorities are awaiting the results of the Saudi investigation, which will determine the circumstances and cause of the accident. The legal team will also follow up on the rights and potential compensation of the injured pilgrims and the families of those who died.
The Egyptian Foreign Ministry expressed its appreciation for the response of Saudi authorities and the medical care provided to the injured, adding that it would continue supporting the remaining pilgrims until their safe return to Egypt.
Millions of Muslims travel to Saudi Arabia each year to perform Umrah, a voluntary pilgrimage to Mecca that can take place at any time of the year. Unlike Hajj, which is performed during specific days of the Islamic month of Dhu Al-Hijjah, Umrah has no fixed annual season.
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