The journey of Lebanese Umrah pilgrims who set off from the city of Sidon towards the Holy Land in Mecca turned into a real tragedy at dawn on Wednesday, after their bus was involved in a horrific traffic accident on the Damascus-Daraa International Highway. According to field media reports, the accident occurred near the bridge of the town of Khirbet Ghazaleh, after the driver lost control of the bus, which had a Jordanian plate and was carrying Umrah pilgrims, which led to its direct overturning and resulted in the death of 4 people and the injury of 32 others, according to an official tally At least with varying wounds.

Medical alert

The director of Daraa National Hospital, Dr. Nizar Rashdan, confirmed in a statement on Wednesday that the medical and nursing staff at the hospital declared a state of maximum alert immediately after receiving the victims and the injured.

Rashdan explained that the wounded were distributed to the ambulance and intensive care departments to ensure the speed of the medical response, revealing at the same time that two critical cases were transferred to one of the hospitals in the capital Damascus to complete specialized treatment, while the Civil Defense and Ambulance teams continue to secure the site and manage heavy traffic on this vital international road.

Beirut Move and Trip Details

In the first official reaction from the Lebanese capital, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam issued a statement describing the incident as a setback and a painful disaster that has afflicted Lebanese Umrah pilgrims and their families.

Salam announced the assignment of Deputy Prime Minister Dr. Tarek Mitri to conduct all necessary diplomatic contacts with the competent Syrian authorities to follow up on the situation of the wounded and provide them with the best medical care, in parallel with the directive of the head of the Central Operations Room at the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, Zahi Shaheen, to follow up on the case on the ground and coordinate evacuation operations.

In turn, the Lebanese Central Operations Room followed up on the tragic incident that hit the Lebanese Umrah bus in the Syrian region of Daraa, in coordination with the competent Syrian authorities.

Lebanese media sources reported that Deputy Prime Minister Tarek Mitri made the necessary contacts with the Syrian side to follow up on the conditions of the injured and the measures taken.

According to available information, there were 35 passengers on board, most of them Lebanese, and the accident resulted in the death of four people, including the Jordanian driver, while the number of injured reached 17 people receiving treatment at Daraa National Hospital.

Two critical cases were also transferred to a hospital in Damascus for treatment, while the rest of the 14 passengers suffered minor injuries that were limited to bruises.

Coordination was made with the Syrian Civil Defense, which transported the injured from the scene of the incident to hospitals.

The Lebanese sources indicated that the procedures are being completed to transfer the bodies of the victims and hand them over to the Lebanese Red Cross at the Lebanese-Syrian border, while the Central Operations Room continues to follow up on the conditions of the injured in hospitals, case by case, in coordination with the concerned Lebanese and Syrian authorities.