ABHA: Two football players were killed and 24 others injured when their bus collided with a car at Wadi Dela mountain pass yesterday morning.
The players, who were traveling in a private bus, were members of the Al-Tihami Club in Jizan, said Maj. Ahmad Awad, spokesman for the Civil Defense in Asir.
Muhammad Muzaffar, chairman of the Al-Tihami Club, identified the dead players as Madani Samkari and Ali Sanquf. “Two players and an official accompanying the team are in intensive care as their injuries are critical,” he said. “All team members are between 18 and 25,” he added.
The team members were returning to Jizan after playing a qualifying match with Al-Zaytun Club for the Crown Prince Cup on Thursday evening.
A total of 11 Civil Defense teams were involved in the rescue operation.
The Wadi Dela pass, a crucial 44 km stretch of road, is the main thoroughfare in the Kingdom’s mountainous southern region. It is also the main link between the Kingdom and Yemen.
The road has seen a number of fatal accidents in recent years. Two people died and 37 were injured in an accident on the same road seven days ago. Earlier this year, 29 people died and 45 were injured in another accident on the same road.
In 2007, three people died and five were injured, while 27 died and 13 were injured in accidents in 2006 on the same road.
The Ministry of Transport had earlier said in a press statement that the road had been redesigned in line with international safety regulations to reduce the number of road accidents that take place there. Climate and poor visibility are also factors that lead to accidents on roads in this mountainous region. Over the past several days intermittent rains have damaged roads making driving more difficult and dangerous particularly after nightfall.
