JEDDAH, 16 December 2007 — Five pilgrims were killed and 19 others injured when a bus carrying 46 pilgrims, all from the Trichur district of southern Indian state of Kerala, overturned on Madinah-Makkah Highway around 9 a.m. yesterday.

“The pilgrims came through Akbar Tour and Travels, a private Indian tour operator,” Indian Consul General Dr. Ausaf Sayeed told Arab News, adding the accident took pace near Rabigh Sitara, 150 km from Makkah, when the pilgrims were being transported from Madinah.

The dead pilgrims were identified as Fathima Muthra, Rakaiyya Abdu Rehman, Rukaiya Haji, Kunjumon M. and Abdul Razak Feetal.

Sayeed said that the dead pilgrims were moved to Shisha Hospital near Makkah. All the injured were rushed to Al-Rabigh General Hospital. Of them, 10 remained in the hospital for treatment, while nine others have been transported to Makkah.

Dr. Suhel Aijaz Khan, Haj Consul at the Consulate General of India, said until Friday 109,900 pilgrims had arrived through the Haj Committee of India. Air-India’s regular flights were to bring 78 more pilgrims yesterday and 30 others today. With more than 40,000 other pilgrims coming through the country’s private tour operators, in all about 152,000 Indian pilgrims will perform Haj this year.

Madinah Bridge Collapse Kills Two

In Madinah, meanwhile, an iron bridge that is part of a Prophet’s Mosque parking expansion project collapsed yesterday, killing two workers. Eleven other workers were injured in the accident, which occurred around 2 p.m.

Firefighters managed to rescue some of the injured workers who became pinned in the rubble when a 22-meter section of the bridge came down. No information was provided regarding the identities and nationalities of the workers.

— With input by Yousuf Muhammad