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Dubai road accident: Passengers share crash details

Dubai - The workers were being taken to their workplace in Al Warqaa when the van crashed into the stationary truck.

Eight people were killed and six seriously injured after a van crashed into a truck on the Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Road on Monday, September 30, morning. The accident was reported at 4.54am in the direction towards Sharjah just before the Mirdif City Centre exit. Six Nepalese, an Indian and the Pakistani driver were killed on the spot.
The workers were being taken to their workplace in Al Warqaa when the van crashed into the stationary truck on the road shoulder. The workers were rushed to the Rashid Hospital, where eight were declared brought dead. The police said two workers are in a critical state, and described the injuries of four others as "moderate".
Social worker Nasir Vatanapally said the deceased have been identified and the bodies shifted to the mortuary. "The injured - one Bangladeshi and five Indians - are still in the emergency ward. The authorities are working together to reveal more information," said Vatanapally.
'We catch up on sleep on the bus'
At the hospital, an injured worker, Ranjit Varma, said he sustained a leg fracture. "Our shift begins very early in the morning and we wake up at 3.30am to get on the bus by 4am. All workers catch up on their sleep on the bus before we reach our destination by 5am. The driver is the only one who is usually awake in the bus. He must have fallen asleep," said Kumar, who has been working in the UAE for two years.
Another injured passenger, Ajith Kumar, said he and his colleagues resided at a labour accommodation in Jebel Ali and are transported to Al Warqaa every morning at 4:00am. Kumar sustained two fractures - one in the arm and the other in the leg. He is scheduled for surgery soon, according to the nurse attending his case.
Deadly crashes
Brigadier Saif Muhair Al Mazroui, director of the Dubai traffic police, said Monday's crash was among a series of accidents involving minibuses and trucks. "These kind of vehicles caused 34 accidents over the last eight months, resulting in one death and 48 injuries. During the same period last year, 35 accidents resulted in 12 deaths and 87 injuries."
sameeha@khaleejtimes.com