At least eight Bangladeshi pilgrims were killed when a bus carrying them among others heading to Mecca burst into flames after a collision on a bridge on Monday, according to media reports.
At least 12 more were also killed and 29 others injured in the accident when the bus overturned following a brake failure on a road linking Asir province and the city of Abha.
Seheli Sabrin, spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said 18 Bangladeshi pilgrims injured in the accident were hospitalized.
Citing sources in the gulf state, Bangla Tribune put the death toll at 22.
The victims' faces were deformed, which was making it difficult to recognize them, a source told the news outlet.
There were 47 passengers on the bus and some 35 were Bangladeshis, it added.
The Bangladesh embassy in Riyadh confirmed that eight of the dead are Bangladeshi nationals. The rest pilgrims included Saudi nationals and residents of different nationalities.
The death toll may increase, Al Arabiya said referring to its sources.
The accident in the southern province of Asir highlights persistent challenges to safely transporting worshippers to Mecca and Medina, the holiest cities in Islam.
It comes during the first week of Ramadan, a busy time for Umrah pilgrimages, and just months before millions of Muslims are expected to make the annual Hajj pilgrimage.
Videos circulating online showed civil defense teams reeling in the completely destroyed bus off the edge of a mountain road. Traffic was obstructed along the road for several hours following the accident.
"According to preliminary information we have now received, the number of deaths in this accident reached 20, and the total number of injuries was approximately 29," the state-affiliated Al-Ekhbariya channel reported.
It said the victims had "different nationalities" but did not mention them or provide a breakdown.
The channel said the bus had "car trouble", without specifying, while the private newspaper Okaz said the accident resulted from an issue with the brakes.
The vehicle "then collided with a bridge, overturned and caught fire".
Transporting worshippers around Saudi Arabia's holy sites is a perilous task, particularly during the Hajj, when roads can be chaotic with buses creating interminable traffic jams.
News of deaths from such accidents, especially when pilgrims become victims, in the kingdom is very common.
Earlier this week, two Bangladeshi expatriates, who were returning to their workplaces after completing Umrah, were killed in a road crash in Saudi Arabia on Saturday.
At least 10 Bangladeshi migrant workers were killed and seven others injured when a vehicle carrying 17 Bangladeshis from Riyadh crashed after the driver lost control while entering the Shaqra area in May 2019.
In 2016, some 19 people were killed when a bus overturned on a highway linking Medina and Mecca, while 22 others were injured.
In October 2019, some 35 foreigners were killed and four others injured when a bus collided with another heavy vehicle near Medina.