This scene pretty much gives you an idea of what a highway in hell would look like (with the song “Highway to Hell” most likely playing in the background). Considered to be the worst accident to ever happen in the UAE, the Abu Dhabi-Dubai highway looked like it was hit by a missile as cars that collided with one another were left blazing.
Based on reports, 150 vehicles, which included 12 buses, rammed into each other during the early morning that resulted in the deaths of 4 people and injuring 317 others. As a result of the collision of vehicles and the subsequent uproar of fire, the highway experienced heavy traffic that lasted for several hours. Authorities had to redirect the traffic to other areas so that motorists could avoid the accident.
Col. Othman Al Tamami, the Director of Emergency and Safety Department of the Abu Dhabi police force said they were able to receive reports of the accident at 6:39 am. This prompted emergency rescue vehicles from the Abu Dhabi police, fire engines from the Civil Defense Department and two helicopters from the Abu Dhabi Police Air Wing to quickly rush to the scene. Despite the obstruction and bad weather, the rescue operation only took a matter of hours as the rescue teams were able evacuate the injured motorists and take them to nearby hospitals.
According to the Director of Traffic Patrols and Department, Colonel Hamad Adeel Al Shamsi, the accident was brought about by the drivers failing to keep a safe distance between their cars and the vehicles in front of them. Traffic jam plus the heavy fog also played a role in the accident.
Here’s hoping that the injured victims are now okay and that they would now be more cautious when speeding down the highway.
Sources: The Truth About Cars, Khaleej Times, Gulf News
