The accident took place Thursday morning while the pilgrims were going to the Meeqat Mosque in Jaarana, near Makkah. According to one source, there were 13 Thai pilgrims in the bus.

The bodies of the dead, all women, were taken to the morgue at King Faisal Hospital in Shasha.

Saudi Red Crescent emergency responders took the injured to hospitals. The injured included three men and two women.

The condition of an injured man in Al-Noor Hospital and two women at King Faisal Hospital are stable, a medical source said. Two others were released after treatment.

Maj. Fowzi Al-Ansari, spokesman of Makkah traffic, said an investigation has been launched to determine the actual cause of the accident.