A bus carrying pilgrims returning from Mecca careered off a road in Jordan today and exploded, killing 52 people.
The accident happened on the road outside Jordan's southern port of Aqaba at about 8 a.m. local time (5 a.m. Irish time), said a civil defence spokesman.
The bus driver lost control on a bend in the road coming out of the mountains above Aqaba, the spokesman said. It then left the road and smashed into a truck depot where it hit several refrigerator vehicles, the spokesman said.
The bus exploded into flame and all 52 people on board were killed.
Most of the passengers were believed to be Egyptians who were intending to take the ferry from Aqaba to the Egyptian Red Sea port of Nuweiba.
The spokesman said the accident appeared to have been caused by a brake failures. He said the bodies would be returned to Egypt by ferry later today.
AP