Umrah Pilgrims' Bus Catches Fire, 24 Indonesians Confirmed Safe

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, through the Indonesian Consulate General in Jeddah, has followed up on information circulating on social media regarding the incident of a bus fire carrying Indonesian citizens (WNI) umrah pilgrims during their journey from Mecca to Medina, Saudi Arabia. Based on information obtained from relevant parties, the bus carrying 24 Indonesian umrah pilgrims experienced a fire after passing the last checkpoint towards the city of Medina, approximately 50 kilometres from Medina, said the Acting Director of WNI Protection at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Heni Hamidah, in her statement on Friday (27/3). According to her, the incident began when the rear tyre of the bus burst, followed by smoke appearing from the front exterior of the vehicle. The bus driver stopped the vehicle so that all pilgrims could disembark to save themselves. Shortly afterwards, fire emerged from the rear of the bus and engulfed the entire vehicle, including the suitcases and belongings of the pilgrims inside the bus. All Indonesian pilgrims are stated to be safe with no fatalities or injuries. They have all been evacuated with a replacement bus. Currently, all pilgrims are in good health and have arrived in Medina, she said. She added that the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Indonesian Consulate General in Jeddah continue to coordinate intensively with travel agents, muasasah, and relevant authorities in Saudi Arabia to ensure further handling for the pilgrims, including requests for compensation for the pilgrims’ belongings that were destroyed in the fire.