MAKKAH, 6 May 2008 — At least 10 people, including two women teachers and six girl students returning from school, died after two jeeps collided head-on in Makkah yesterday afternoon.
“All the victims were reduced to burned flesh and bones as the vehicles caught fire following the collision near the Hussainia Intersection on Khawajat Road at about 2.15 p.m.,” Col. Ahmad Al-Otaibi, director of traffic in Makkah, told Arab News.
“The victims included two school teachers and a driver in one jeep, and six girls and their driver in the other. It was not clear if any teachers were traveling in the second jeep,” Al-Otaibi said.
The official was unsure what caused the accident. He said investigations were under way.
Lt. Col. Ali Al-Muntasheri, spokesman for Makkah Civil Defense, said that by the time the rescue teams reached the scene of the accident the fire had consumed both cars with the passengers inside.
“Our men took out 10 blackened bodies from the mangled vehicles and transferred them to ambulances,” he said.
Police said they will later identify the bodies with the help of relatives.
Hani Fairuzi, a promotion consultant in Makkah who witnessed the accident, told Arab News that students and teachers were being butchered on roads in the Kingdom.
“If I were a guardian of any of these girls I would have sought legal action against the Ministry of Education, as I do not view these accidents as unintentional. Our girls are being put to death deliberately with the knowledge of the ministers of education and transport. I think we are going back to a time when human life has no worth,” said Fairuzi, who had yet to recover from the shock of witnessing the horrible incident.
He called for immediate measures to minimize road accidents and for an arrangement for the safe transportation of schoolgirls and teachers.
