SAPTCO bus overturns, five killed

Five passengers died and 34 were injured when a bus overturned on Hail road in Hanakiya yesterday morning.
The injured were taken to Hanakiya hospital, said Col. Khaled Al-Johani, spokesman for the Civil Defense in Madinah province.
He told Arab News the Civil Defense operation room in Hanakiya was contacted at 7 a.m. about the accident involving a Saudi Public Transport Company (SAPTCO) bus on the Hail–Kuraiziya road.
The bus overturned after losing control and hit the roadside barrier.
Five Civil Defense teams rushed to the scene and rescued passengers trapped inside the bus. Air ambulances also took part in the rescue operation.
In another accident, 20 Umrah pilgrims had a miraculous escape when their bus collided with a water tanker in Makkah on Tuesday.
The tanker driver who sustained injuries was admitted to King Faisal Hospital. The pilgrims were on a trip to visit the holy sites.
Reports showed the speeding tanker abruptly entered the main road from a branch road, collided with the bus and then overturned.
Makkah traffic police spokesman Ali Al-Zahrani said the tanker driver would be questioned after his discharge from hospital.
On Tuesday two expatriates were killed in a car accident on the Jeddah–Makkah Expressway. An Indian national and a Bangladeshi died when the car overturned after a tire blowout.