Four British tourists died north of Mecca, Saudi Arabia when their coach collided with a petrol tanker on a main road, their UK travel agent told local media.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office confirmed Britons were among the victims, which happened in a town roughly 45 kilometres north of the holy city of Mecca.
"We are supporting the British families of those who have died and those injured following a serious road traffic accident near the town of Al Khalas, Saudi Arabia," the Foreign Office said in an emailed statement on Sunday.
The accident reportedly happened on Saturday but the Foreign Office would not confirm the details when contacted by The National.
The coach, believed to be carrying 18 people, was at the start of a road trip between Mecca and Medina when it was hit by the tanker and caught fire, Sky News reported.
One of the victims was a woman in her 60s from Blackburn. She was named locally as Raj Begum Hussain. Three others were from Preston, believed to be a man, and a mother and son, the Hashim Travel company told the Lancashire Telegraph.
A young child is also believed to be among the injured.
"There was a crash between the coach and a petrol tanker," Gulfaraz Zaman, the director of the Blackburn company, told the Lancashire Telegraph. "There were 18 people on the coach which was travelling back from Mecca towards Medina."
The newspaper said the accident occurred on Saturday.
The group were on a trip booked through the Blackburn firm, based in Audley Range. Hashim Travel did not answer their land line or mobile phone on Sunday.
Other passengers injured in the crash were from UK towns including Accrington, Preston, Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Northampton and Blackburn.
“We pray that god blesses them and their family. They were on a very, very good journey," CEO of Lancashire Council of Mosques, Abdul Qureshi, said.
“We will be there for the family for any support and guidance they need.”
Leader of Blackburn with Darwen Council, Councillor Mohammed Khan, told the local newspaper that he visited the woman's family and passed on his condolences.
The Umrah is a pilgrimage to Mecca that can be undertaken at any time year-round. While Umrah is not compulsory, it is recommended in Islam. In Arabic, Umrah means "to visit a populated place". It is sometimes referred to as the "minor pilgrimage" or "lesser pilgrimage", with the Hajj being the "major" pilgrimage which is compulsory for every Muslim who can afford it.
Hashim Travel has specialised in arranging Hajj and Umrah pilgrimages for 15 years for clients based in north-east England. Passengers typically pay about £4,300 (Dh22,100) for a Hajj trip including accommodation and travel within Saudi Arabia, according to the firm's website.
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Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
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Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
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Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
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Top financial tips for graduates
Araminta Robertson, of the Financially Mint blog, shares her financial advice for university leavers:
1. Build digital or technical skills: After graduation, people can find it extremely hard to find jobs. From programming to digital marketing, your early twenties are for building skills. Future employers will want people with tech skills.
2. Side hustle: At 16, I lived in a village and started teaching online, as well as doing work as a virtual assistant and marketer. There are six skills you can use online: translation; teaching; programming; digital marketing; design and writing. If you master two, you’ll always be able to make money.
3. Networking: Knowing how to make connections is extremely useful. Use LinkedIn to find people who have the job you want, connect and ask to meet for coffee. Ask how they did it and if they know anyone who can help you. I secured quite a few clients this way.
4. Pay yourself first: The minute you receive any income, put about 15 per cent aside into a savings account you won’t touch, to go towards your emergency fund or to start investing. I do 20 per cent. It helped me start saving immediately.
