HAJJ pilgrims on a trip organised by a Blackburn firm have been injured in a coach crash near the city of Mecca.

The driver of the coach, who was not a British national, was killed in the incident at around 3am Saudi Arabian time yesterday.

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The coach was carrying around 40 passengers who had booked Hajj pilgrimage travel packages through Blackburn-based Sadat Tours.

The company, based in Whalley New Road, said that passengers had suffered minor injuries, with most already travelling on to the next destination and some being kept in hospital overnight for observation, while the Foreign Office was sending a team to the area to help those who had been injured.

Rashid Mogradia, chief executive at the Council of British Hajjis, said they were informed of the accident in the early hours.

He said: “A truck on the opposite side of the road has veered into the path of the coach causing a collision which has sadly killed the driver.

“A number of British pilgrims are being treated in hospital.

“The coach was carrying a group from the Blackburn company Sadat Tours.

“The Hajj authorities use coach drivers from that region, so the driver may have been from Saudi Arabia, or Egypt, or Yemen. It is not yet known.”

The group had completed the pilgrimage to Mecca and were travelling on to the city of Medina, which contains the tomb of the Prophet Muhammad. The crash happened in Rabegh, 55 miles north Jeddah.

Cllr Mohammed Khan, leader of Blackburn with Darwen Council, said members of his family were travelling with Sadat, but were not on the coach that crashed.

He said: “My daughter was travelling with that group so it was a very worrying morning.

“The group have three of four coaches and we managed to get in touch with her and they had heard about the accident but were on a different coach.

“It is another tragedy during the Hajj period with the driver passing away and my thoughts and prayers are with his family.

“Thankfully it seems that everyone from Blackburn who has booked with the group is safe and well.

“I’ve been on that journey before. It is a very, very busy road.

“The last time I did it I was in the back of a taxi saying ‘God help me’ because it was so dangerous.”

Councillors representing the Bastwell ward where Sadat Tours is based said the company had a very good reputation and took bookings from across the country.

Cllr Shaukat Hussain said: “There was a lot of ringing around this morning to make sure local people who have travelled were ok.

“There were people from Blackburn travelling with the group but they are very well known and have a good reputation. “They get bookings from all over the country.”

Cllr Iftakhar Hussain said: “It was a very concerning morning for a lot of people in the ward. I spoke to a few people who have relatives out there who were desperate for information but apart from the driver, nobody has been seriously injured.

“This is the third accident at the Hajj pilgrimage this year. It’s been a terrible time.”

Staff at Sadat Tours were in the office today in Whalley New Road talking to concerned relatives.

A Foreign Office spokesman said: “We are aware of an accident involving a bus carrying British pilgrims on their way to Medina.

“We are liaising with Saudi authorities and a team from the British Consulate in Jeddah are on their way to the area to provide assistance to the individuals.”

Mr Mogradia urged anyone concerned about members of their family to get in touch with the Council of British Hajjis or the Foreign Office.

He said: “Anybody concerned about relatives can call us on 0845 8334145 or the Foreign Office on 0207 0081500.”

On Thursday relatives across East Lancashire waited for news after a stampede at the Hajj. At least 769 pilgrims from around the world died in the crush.