Saudi newspapers reported that a Saudi cleric, his wife, and their five children were killed in a road accident in a coastal city.
Okaz said a speeding truck collided with a car carrying the seven on a highway near the coastal city of Al Qunfudah, killing them all.
A local mosque imam and his family were returning from Makkah after performing Umrah or lesser pilgrimage there when a truck collided with their car, the newspaper reported.
The news of the deadly crash devastated the victims' neighbourhood.
In the meantime, several Saudis expressed shock at the departure of the Imam and his family online. In some cases, mourners posted videos showing the late clergyman delivering sermons.
Abdul Latif Al Sheikh, Saudi Arabia's minister of Islamic affairs, also expressed condolences.
One of the victims, Ahmad, was a ninth grader at a Quran memorisation school complex.
His morals and pursuit of knowledge set a good example for students,” said Darwish Al Magrabi, the institution's manager.
Sheikh Al Basissy was a good and helpful man, Al Magrabi said of the late cleric.
In the Grand Mosque, an Islamic death prayer was offered for the victims.
