Fourteen people have been killed and 30 others injured after a truck lost control and crashed into 22 vehicles in Fujairah, the United Arab Emirates, the country’s authorities have said.
The fatal accident occurred at the entrance to the eastern emirate shortly before midnight on Thursday, involving 23 vehicles, including five trucks, amid “slow-moving traffic”, according to the UAE Interior Ministry.
The ministry said the collision caused the truck to catch fire, with the flames spreading to other vehicles and resulting in significant casualties.
“The truck to catch fire and the blaze to spread to several other vehicles, resulting in a heavy loss of life”, the ministry said in a statement.
Fujairah Police said 30 people sustained injuries and were transported to hospitals for treatment.
Authorities are also conducting DNA tests to identify the remains of the deceased.
The police confirmed that some of the victims were Emirati nationals, while the Indian consulate in the UAE said Indian citizens were also among those killed.
The consulate added that it had contacted the bereaved families and was working with local authorities to provide assistance and support.
According to officials, the truck first collided with another vehicle before overturning and hitting other vehicles that had stopped due to “slow-moving traffic” on the road.
Emergency responders, including police officers, paramedics and civil defence personnel, were deployed to the scene to put out the fire, evacuate victims, transport the injured to hospitals and secure the area.
Specialist teams were said to have remained at the scene.
Authorities disclosed that half of the injured victims had been discharged after receiving medical treatment, while the others remained in hospital.
The injured were identified as nationals of the UAE, Oman, India, Brazil, Pakistan, Jordan and Egypt.
The Interior Ministry and Fujairah Police expressed condolences to the families of the victims and wished those injured a speedy recovery.
