Al-Himna Road Crash, Madinah-Jeddah Highway, Saudi Arabia: Seven Bangladeshis From Three Families Dead, Six Hurt; Speed of About 160 km/h Suspected, Driver Says Tyre Burst, Injured Count Reported as 6 or 15

What happened on 7 November 2026

At about 2 am on Saturday, 7 November 2026, a vehicle carrying 13 Bangladeshis from three families from Cox’s Bazar overturned at Al-Himna, on the highway between Madinah and Jeddah in Saudi Arabia. The group was returning to Jeddah from Madinah. Seven of them died and six were hurt, according to The Daily Star, The Business Standard (TBS), bdnews24 and Observer Online, who rely on the Bangladesh Consulate General in Jeddah and the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare. Children were among the dead. We have not named anyone who died or was hurt.

Four of the dead were from one family, two from another, and one was a woman who had come to Saudi Arabia only a few days earlier to perform Umrah (TBS, bdnews24). The vehicle was driven by a Pakistani national. Bodies were taken to hospitals at Al-Himna and Khulais, and the injured were treated at hospitals in Khulais and Jeddah; two had been discharged after first care (The Daily Star).

What officials say

• Speed: the consulate’s preliminary report and officials at the Khulais traffic office put the vehicle’s speed at about 160 km/h, and the traffic office first suspected excessive speed made the driver lose control (TBS, bdnews24, Observer Online).
• The driver’s account: the driver says a tyre burst caused the crash (all four outlets).
• The investigation: the consulate says the actual cause will be decided by Saudi investigators and their final report. We found no such report up to 8 November.
• Help for families: the consulate sent its labour counsellor and a legal assistant to the traffic office, prepared a preliminary report, arranged treatment and began work on sending the bodies home (TBS, Observer Online).

Where reports differ, and what we do not know

• Injured: six (The Daily Star, TBS, bdnews24, Observer Online) or 15 (The Star Malaysia, quoting Prothom Alo; The Daily Star’s first report carries 15 in its headline). We use six and show 15.
• What happened: the vehicle overturned (The Daily Star, TBS, bdnews24) or a truck hit a bus carrying Bangladeshis from behind (The Star Malaysia). Only the second account mentions a truck.
• Place and date: Madinah-Jeddah highway at Al-Himna (three outlets), but The Star Malaysia says Jeddah and the road from Jeddah to Jizan; the crash is dated 7 November by The Daily Star, TBS and Observer Online, and 8 November in bdnews24’s text.
• Vehicle type: not stated by any outlet we opened.
• Not found: a Saudi police or traffic report, the final cause, whether the vehicle was a hired car, a van or a minibus, whether seat belts were worn, and any charge against the driver.

Why this case matters

Millions of migrant workers and their families travel Saudi highways in shared or hired vehicles, often at night, often with a driver they do not know. Seven people from three families died in one crash at 2 am. Two causes are on record and both can be checked before a journey: speed, and tyres. We do not know which is right, but a vehicle going at 160 km/h has little margin if a tyre fails, and a driver who is tired or under pressure to reach Jeddah makes both more likely.

These are the same habits behind the crashes in the Pakistan cases on this site, Pakpattan and the Hazara Motorway, and in India’s Kota Expressway pilgrim crash.

What passengers and families can do

• Wear a seat belt on every seat, front and back: in an overturning vehicle it keeps you inside. Children should be in the correct child seat or at least belted.
• Speak up about speed: if the driver is going very fast, ask him to slow down, and ask again. Our guide a passenger’s plan for unsafe driving gives words to use.
• Look at the tyres before a long highway journey: worn, cracked or old tyres fail fast in desert heat at high speed.
• Plan the journey to avoid the middle of the night: a driver who has been awake for many hours is a hazard. See night driving safety and night bus crashes in India and South Asia.
• After a crash: do not move someone with neck or back pain unless there is fire. In Saudi Arabia the unified emergency number is 911 and the Red Crescent ambulance line is 997 (general knowledge, not from a report we opened; please check the official list). For readers in India, see emergency numbers in India and road accident first aid.
• Families abroad: keep the consulate’s emergency number and your company’s contact in your phone, and keep passport and iqama copies where a relative at home can reach them.