20 people were killed and about 30 were injured in a traffic accident involving a passenger bus that was heading to the city of Mecca , according to the Saudi official media, which indicated that the bus caught fire after it collided with a bridge.

The accident occurred in Aqabat Shaar in the north of the Asir region, located in southwestern Saudi Arabia , and it highlights the challenges that the Kingdom faces in terms of ensuring the safety of those arriving to it to perform Umrah or Hajj.

The accident comes in the first week of Ramadan, a few months before the start of the Hajj season.

And the state-run Al-Ekhbariya TV reported that "20 people died and 29 others were injured in a passenger bus accident at Aqaba Shaar" in the northern Asir region.

The channel indicated that the accident occurred "because of the bus's brakes ventilating, then it collided with a bridge, overturned and caught fire."

The channel posted on its Twitter account a video recording showing its reporter apparently standing in front of the burning bus structure.

Transportation to the holy sites in Saudi Arabia, whether to perform Umrah or Hajj, is a arduous and sometimes risky task, as buses often cause traffic jams.

In October 2019, 35 people of Asian and Arab nationalities died in the city, when a passenger bus collided with a truck.