Hospitals in Taif were put on high alert Thursday after a bus with over 50 passengers ploughed into six vehicles at the site of two-car crash being dealt with by police near the town of Al-Buhaita on the Taif to Makkah Road. A van also struck one of the highway patrol vehicles. One passenger was killed in the incident, while a policeman and 32 passengers, many of whom were Umrah pilgrims, were injured. Three of the injured were later said to be in “serious condition” in hospital. Over 30 fire and rescue teams and 11 teams of medics were rushed to the site and the injured persons were taken to Prince Sultan Military Hospital, King Abdul Aziz Specialist Hospital, and King Faisal Hospital. Red Crescent teams were also sent from Makkah and Taif to assist in rescue operations. “Hospitals were put on high alert in the expectation of a large number of injured,” a Health Affairs spokesman said. Off-duty medical staff were also called in. Traffic backed up over five kilometers following the crash and ambulance and rescue vehicles were forced to drive down the opposite lane to reach the scene of the accident.
