A tractor lifting the bus, which had overturned while crossing a highway in Deraa, Syria. (Credit: Screenshot social media)
BEIRUT — A bus carrying Lebanese pilgrims traveling to Saudi Arabia to perform the "Umrah" pilgrimage via Syria overturned Tuesday night on a highway in Deraa, southwestern Syria, resulting in deaths and injuries, Lebanese and Syrian media reported Wednesday.
The bus had departed from Saida in southern Lebanon and overturned near the Khirbet Ghazaleh bridge in Deraa. According to initial reports, at least three people were killed and 18 injured in the accident. The injured were transported to hospitals in the area.
Videos circulating online showed a survivor searching for a relative, apparently trapped inside the wreckage. Other footage showed a tractor lifting the bus, which had overturned onto its side, while rescuers worked at the scene.
Following the incident, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam announced Wednesday in a statement that he had tasked Deputy Prime Minister Tarek Mitri with contacting the relevant Syrian authorities to "monitor the health status of the injured and ensure they receive the best possible medical care and proper hospitalization." He also asked Zahi Chahine, head of the central operations room at the prime minister’s office, to "stay informed about the situation on the ground."
Beirut MP Fouad Makhzoumi meanwhile issued an "urgent humanitarian appeal" on X. "Some of the survivors have contacted us, issuing a call to action and urging the relevant authorities in Lebanon and Syria to act quickly and work toward their rescue," he wrote.
Hacking Lebanese Politics #36: Is Lebanon about to abolish the death penalty?
