RIJAL Al-MAE, Asir, 16 April — Seven students of the Girls’ College in Mahail Asir died and another girl was seriously injured in a major traffic accident yesterday as the private bus they were traveling in collided with a truck belonging to a national company. The driver of the bus was also killed.
Deputy Education Minister for Girls’ Education Affairs Dr. Khidhr Al-Qurashi expressed shock on hearing the news of the accident.
Qurashi said the accident occurred inside the Rijal Al-Mae tunnel. The students were on their way to college from their village in Wadi Reem. The deputy minister later visited the accident spot and conveyed his condolences to the bereaved families. A preliminary report by the Traffic Department said the accident was caused by a technical fault in the truck, which skidded and hit the bus.
Meanwhile, a schoolbus carrying 40 girls was trapped in flash floods in the southern city of Baha. Saeed Al-Ghamdi, father of three students, said the girls were heading to their school located some 25 kilometers away.
