ISLAMABAD: At least 10 Pakistanis were killed and one critically injured when a privately chartered bus collided with a heavy vehicle near the holy city of Madinah on Wednesday, government officials confirmed here on Friday.

“Ten Pakistanis have lost their lives in the tragic accident while one is critically injured and admitted in King Fahad Hospital for treatment,” Tariq Mahmood, Pakistan’s director for Hajj in Madinah, told Arab News.

He said the Saudi authorities have collected the DNA samples as well to identify the deceased and hand over their bodies to the bereaved families in Pakistan. “If a family wants to bring the remains of a loved one home, this can be done with the help of these DNA tests,” he said.

Mahmood said that a team of Pakistani officials have also reached Madinah to gather all the details of those who lost their lives in the tragic road accident. “We will release the information on the identity of the victims to the families and the media very soon,” Mahmood added.

He said that Saudi authorities had also launched an investigation to ascertain the causes of the accident and prevent occurrence of such mishaps in the future.

Majid Hussain Memon, community welfare attaché at Pakistan’s embassy in Riyadh, told Arab News that the injured had been identified as Akbar. “Our team is visiting the accident site as well to collect more details about the victims,” he said.

Thirty-five Arab and Asian pilgrims were killed and four others injured in a bus crash on Wednesday near the holy city of Madinah when a private bus carrying 39 passengers collided with a heavy vehicle.

Dr. Khalid Abbas Asadi, a distinguished Pakistani doctor at Dr. Hamid Sulaiman Al-Ahmadi Hospital in Madinah, said that all injured were being provided with “the best possible medical facilities” in the King Fahad Hospital.

“We as representatives of Pakistani community are in touch with the Saudi health ministry and Pakistan embassy in Riyadh to keep families of the victims abreast of the latest situation,” he told Arab News.

“It was indeed a shocking accident, though such mishaps are very rare here in Saudi Arabia due to the best transportation facilities for the pilgrims,” he added.

Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and other dignitaries have expressed profound grief and sorrow over the tragic road accident.