Seven Pakistani Umrah pilgrims killed in Saudi road crash
A 13-member family from Buner was traveling from Arafat to Madinah when their vehicle was hit by a pickup truck
Kamran Ali
Correspondent Nukta
Kamran Ali, a seasoned journalist from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, has a decade of experience covering terrorism, human rights, politics, economy, climate change, culture, and sports. With an MS in Media Studies, he has worked across print, radio, TV, and digital media, producing investigative reports and co-hosting shows that highlight critical issues.
The family was riding in a Land Cruiser when it was struck by a pickup truck, causing the vehicle to catch fire.
Courtesy: Local resident
Seven members of a Pakistani family were killed in a road accident in Saudi Arabia while returning from the Islamic pilgrimage of Umrah, relatives and officials said Saturday.
The victims, three men, two women, and two children, belonged to a single family from Dogai Khadokhel village in Pakistan’s Buner district. They had arrived in the Kingdom just 11 days earlier to visit relatives and perform the religious rites.
Mian Saeed Akram, a relative of the deceased, told Nukta that his uncle, Israr Ahmed, had traveled to Saudi Arabia with 13 family members to visit his sons living in Riyadh.
“The family was traveling from Arafat to Madinah after performing Umrah when their vehicle was involved in a serious accident, turning their spiritual journey into a tragedy,” Akram said.
According to Akram, the family was riding in a Land Cruiser when it was struck by a pickup truck. The vehicle caught fire upon impact. “The pickup driver quickly rushed to break the glass, which helped rescue six of the passengers,” he said.
Seven family members died on the spot, while six others were critically injured and are currently receiving treatment in Saudi hospitals. Akram said the surviving members are now in stable condition.
Initially, the family planned to repatriate the bodies to Pakistan. However, a jirga (tribal council) later decided that funeral prayers would be held in Saudi Arabia and the deceased would be buried at Arafat Cemetery.
Officials in Pakistan expressed grief over the tragedy. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi and Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur called the incident “deeply tragic” and offered condolences.
“We stand in solidarity with the bereaved families during this moment of profound grief,” both leaders said in a joint statement. They also wished a swift recovery to the injured.
The fatal crash comes weeks after Pakistan’s Ministry of Religious Affairs reported the deaths of 18 Pakistani pilgrims, 10 men and 8 women, during the 2025 Hajj season. In 2024, 35 Pakistani pilgrims had died during the pilgrimage.
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