A driver was killed and four female teachers were wounded in a road accident on the Lith-Makkah Highway on Sunday.

The minibus carrying the teachers collided head-on with a car, resulting in the instant death of the car driver. The wounded passengers were airlifted to hospitals in Makkah.

Muhammad Al-Malki, spokesman of the education administration in Lith, said the accident occurred as teachers traveled from Makkah to Lith to various schools. Three teachers and their Saudi driver were admitted to King Abdullah Hospital in Makkah and another teacher went to Al-Noor Hospital.

This is the second accident such accident in two weeks.

Seven female teachers were wounded in an accident while traveling from Jeddah to Lith on Sept. 10.

School authorities have said that they will find substitutes for the teachers so that their students do not miss classes, a local daily reported Monday.

The Ministry of Education says it tries to provide female teachers with work in schools near their homes in order to avoid traveling long distances every day.

There is also a scheme to arrange more school buses to transport female teachers and students.

More than 800 teachers, mostly women, commute on average 500 km every day from Jeddah and Makkah to schools in Lith.