A tragic road accident in Saudi Arabia has claimed the lives of seven Pakistani Umrah pilgrims, all from the same family in Buner, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The victims included four children, according to local media reports.
The family, residents of Dagai Khudokhel, had traveled to Saudi Arabia 11 days ago to perform Umrah. Their journey turned fatal when their vehicle was involved in a serious crash. Five other members of the same family were injured in the accident.
The funeral prayers for the deceased will be held in Saudi Arabia, as confirmed by the family.
This heartbreaking incident follows a series of unfortunate deaths of Pakistani pilgrims in the Kingdom. Just last month, the Ministry of Religious Affairs reported that 18 Pakistani pilgrims died during Hajj 2025. The deceased included 10 men and eight women, most of whom were elderly and died from heart-related issues or other health problems.
All Hajj victims were buried in Jannatul Baqi. The ministry noted that this year’s death toll was significantly lower than that of 2024, when 35 Pakistani pilgrims passed away.
Globally, over 1.67 million people took part in Hajj 2025, with more than 1.5 million coming from 171 countries. Saudi authorities also recorded over 166,000 domestic pilgrims.
Officials highlighted improved gender balance during the pilgrimage, with 877,841 male and 795,389 female pilgrims. The government implemented advanced cooling systems this year to avoid tragedies like in 2024, when 1,301 people died due to extreme heat, which reached nearly 52°C (125°F).
This recent loss of Pakistani Umrah pilgrims adds to the growing concern over the safety and health of foreign visitors in Saudi Arabia, especially during the busy pilgrimage seasons.
For more details on another recent aviation close call, read about the Southwest flight’s near-miss incident in Burbank.
