• Home

Pile-up of 10 vehicles creates
traffic jam

ABU DHABI — A major accident on Shaikh Zayed Road near Ghantoot involving ten vehicles caused a massive traffic jam on the Abu Dhabi-Dubai Highway on Thursday afternoon.

According to a spokesman at the Abu Dhabi Police General Headquarters, the accident occurred after the Samah Bridge before Ghantoot on Dubai route involved ten vehicles.

“It was a pile-up after one car crashed into another due to reckless and rash driving. There was only casualties and the injured was rushed to a nearby hospital,” he said.

One eyewitness said he saw at least 20 vehicles piled up just before Ghantoot and there were huge tailbacks of vehicles stuck in the traffic while rescue teams were involved in clearing the road.

“We were stuck there for over half an hour. It was around 4pm and I was on my way to Ajman for the weekend when I got stuck. I saw at least three helicopters involved in the rescue operation,” said Ishaq Ahmed, a Pakistani driver.

He also said many vehicles were badly damaged in the accident and there might have been some serious casualties.

Another eyewitness, who did not want to be named, said he saw different rescue and safety teams including helicopters and ambulances busy in rescue operation.

He said: “The rescue operation was still on at 6pm when I passed the spot. The injured might have been shifted by the time, if there was any.”

A spokesperson at Mafraq Hospital, which normally receives casualties from big accidents, said there were no such injury cases in the hospital.

She told Khaleej Times: “We have received no casualties at Mafraq Hospital from this accident.”

The accident had badly affected the traffic movement for over an hour. Being Thursday afternoon, the highway was flooded with vehicles as people were heading towards Dubai for the weekend, particularly for the New Year holiday.

nissar@khaleejtimes.com

• UAE