Fujairah truck crash kills 14, injures 30

A truck lost control at the entrance to the United Arab Emirates emirate of Fujairah and struck vehicles caught in slow-moving traffic, setting off a fire in a 23-vehicle crash that killed 14 people and injured 30, authorities said.

The collision happened shortly before midnight, the UAE Interior Ministry said. The truck hit another vehicle before striking others that had stopped or were moving slowly. It then caught fire, and flames spread to several vehicles. The ministry described the result as a “heavy loss of life.”

The crash involved five trucks and 18 other vehicles, according to Al Jazeera’s account of the ministry’s preliminary report. The BBC reported that officials said the truck overturned before hitting more vehicles. Al Jazeera reported the ministry’s account that the truck and the vehicle it first struck both veered off the road before crashing into the others.

Police, paramedics and civil defence crews rushed to the scene to put out the fire, take the injured to hospitals and secure the area, the BBC reported. Specialist teams remained at the site as authorities continued to deal with the aftermath.

Fujairah Police said DNA testing was being used to identify those killed. The dead included Emirati nationals and foreigners, police said. The Indian consulate in the UAE said Indian citizens were among the victims. It said it had contacted “bereaved families” and was working with local authorities to provide assistance and support.

Of the 30 people injured, 15 were discharged after treatment and 15 remained in hospital, authorities said. The injured included nationals of the UAE, Oman, India, Brazil, Pakistan, Jordan and Egypt.

The Interior Ministry and police offered condolences to the families of those killed and wished the injured a speedy recovery.