"As of now, those who passed away are in the process of being buried there, while those injured are being treated in two hospitals," Indonesia's Minister of Religious Affairs, Nasaruddin Umar, said in Jakarta on Friday.
He added that his ministry is coordinating with its representatives in Saudi Arabia and the Indonesian Consulate General (KJRI) in Jeddah, which is assisting in the process.
Umar said that it is common for those who pass away while performing Hajj and Umrah to be buried in Saudi Arabia.
However, he has not yet confirmed details about all the burials, as the government is still in coordination with the victims' families.
"The bodies are already at the hospital, and there has been coordination with the families," he said.
On a separate occasion, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Arrmanatha Christiawan Nasir, confirmed that staff from the Indonesian Consulate General (KJRI) had gone directly to accompany the victims.
"The KJRI team has gone there," Nasir said, responding to questions about the handling of the accident on March 20 that caused the deaths of six pilgrims.
The six pilgrims were part of a 20-member Umrah pilgrimage group. Out of the total pilgrims, 13 were injured in the accident and are currently receiving treatment at several hospitals, while one person survived.
The accident occurred while the pilgrims were traveling from Medina to Mecca. Their bus overturned in the middle of the journey, 150 kilometers outside of Jeddah.
The Ministry of Religious Affairs has not yet determined the cause of the bus overturning or confirmed if driver negligence was involved.
Related news: Six Indonesian Umrah pilgrims killed in Saudi bus accident
Related news: Police crack down on trafficking ring disguised as Umrah travel
Translator: Kuntum Khaira Riswan
Editor: Anton Santoso
Copyright © ANTARA 2025
