ABHA — Transport Minister Dr. Jabara Al-Seraisry yesterday visited the site of a gruesome accident in Okbat Al-Dhalae but had no answer to recurring road accidents in the Asir and Jizan regions.
Speaking to reporters after meeting Asir Gov. Prince Faisal ibn Khaled, Al-Seraisry said he was unaware of the actual reason for Friday’s accident near Abha that claimed the lives of 26 people, including six Saudis and 20 expatriate residents.
The Asir governor has set up a committee to probe the accident in which a Saudi Arabian Public Transport Company (SAPTCO) bus carrying 33 people fell into a ravine in Okbat Al-Dhalae.
The minister expressed his condolences to the relatives of the dead and wished early recovery for the injured. Al-Seraisry, however, refused to answer reporters’ questions.
People in the area have not yet recovered from the shock of Friday’s accident. More than 1,890 people died in the Asir and Jizan regions as a result of road accidents in the past 27 years.
An official at the Asir Governorate, who requested anonymity, told Arab News that several parties are responsible for Friday’s accident. He said SAPTCO should take part of the blame because it used one driver and an assistant for the 18-hour trip.
The bus was coming from Riyadh and was heading toward the town of Sabya in Jizan, covering a total distance of more than 1,200 kilometers.
“This is a very long route and it will not be easy for any driver to cover such a long distance without enough rest in between,” the official said.
Dr. Abdullah Al-Wadie, director of Health Affairs in the region, said a Bangladeshi, who was one of the eight passengers injured in the accident, died at Asir Central Hospital on Friday.
He said a Saudi man, who was in critical condition, has been admitted into intensive care. “The condition of others is stable,” he added.
The Transport Ministry has spent more than SR430 million during the past few years to construct and repair roads in Okbat Al-Dhalae.
In spite of these efforts, accidents continue. In the beginning of this month, six passengers were killed and 10 others were injured in a three-car pileup in the area. Four years ago, 25 people, including children, perished in another major accident that was blamed on flash floods.
