At least 35 people were killed and four others injured when a bus they were travelling crashed with another heavy vehicle in the Muslim holy city of Medina, Saudi state media said.
There were 39 Umrah pilgrims on board when the accident occured. All the injured have been admitted to Al-Hamna Hospital, SPA reported.
The accident occurred on Hijra Road, about 170 km from Madinah. It is unclear whether Indians were among the dead. Pilgrims from various Asian countries were reportedly on the bus.
The impact of the collision may have caused sparks that led to big fire. The bus was fully engulfed in flame after the collision. Saudi authorities have launched an investigation.
The accident on Wednesday involved a collision between "a private chartered bus... with a heavy vehicle (loader)" in the western Saudi Arabian city, a spokesman for Medina police said, according to the official Saudi Press Agency.
Those involved were Arab and Asian pilgrims, according to local media, who carried pictures of the bus engulfed in flames and with its windows blown out.
As part of efforts to diversify its oil-dependent economy, Saudi Arabia wants to foster a year-round religious tourism sector that includes millions of pilgrims.
A month back, Saudi Arabia had claimed it will offer tourist visas for the first time, opening up the ultra-conservative kingdom to holidaymakers as part of a push to diversify its economy away from oil. Kickstarting tourism is one of the centrepieces of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's Vision 2030 reform programme to prepare the biggest Arab economy for a post-oil era.
Prince Mohammed is seeking to change that through a sweeping liberalisation drive that has brought new cinemas, mixed-gender concerts and sporting extravaganzas to Saudi Arabia.
International criticism of the kingdom's human rights record, including the gruesome murder last year of critic Jamal Khashoggi and a crackdown on female activists, could further put off foreign visitors, observers say.
Fears of a regional conflict after the September 14 attacks on state oil giant Aramco may also dampen the kingdom's appeal to holidaymakers.
Visas are currently restricted to expat workers, their dependents and Muslim pilgrims travelling to holy sites in Mecca and Medina.
Saudi Arabia last year began issuing visas to visitors to attend sporting and cultural events in a bid to kickstart tourism.
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