Two Omani citizens died on Wednesday when the bus carrying them to perform Umrah in Saudi Arabia crashed.
Eighteen others were injured in the accident, the Omani embassy in Riyadh said, adding it was assisting them in seeking treatment.
The embassy shared a photo of the accident scene, showing one side of a white bus with heavy damage.
The bodies of those killed will be taken to Oman.
Oman's Ministry of Endowment and Religious Affairs said in April that 6,338 pilgrims would visit Makkah for Umrah this year, about half pre-pandemic levels.
Saudi Arabia said there was an increase of 11.61 per cent last year, in the number of people undertaking Umrah, compared to 2020 when coronavirus travel restrictions hindered the pilgrimage.
More than three million Saudis performed the pilgrimage in 2021, and 3.4 million non-Saudis.
Jawan
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if you go
The flights
Flydubai flies to Podgorica or nearby Tivat via Sarajevo from Dh2,155 return including taxes. Turkish Airlines flies from Abu Dhabi and Dubai to Podgorica via Istanbul; alternatively, fly with Flydubai from Dubai to Belgrade and take a short flight with Montenegro Air to Podgorica. Etihad flies from Abu Dhabi to Podgorica via Belgrade. Flights cost from about Dh3,000 return including taxes. There are buses from Podgorica to Plav.
The tour
While you can apply for a permit for the route yourself, it’s best to travel with an agency that will arrange it for you. These include Zbulo in Albania (www.zbulo.org) or Zalaz in Montenegro (www.zalaz.me).
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How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
AUSTRALIA SQUAD
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