ABU DHABI — Eyewitnesses recounted the morning rush-hour horror on the Old Truck Road (E30), near Sih Sabra, Al Ain, when a bus transporting 46 Asian workers thought to be from a cleaning company collided with a large lorry carrying concrete. The lorry overturned and landed on the bus as its brakes failed, trapping the passengers under the cargo of gravel. At least 22 were killed on the spot and 24 were injured, Director of Abu Dhabi traffic police General Hussein Al-Harithi was quoted as saying by the local media. The Bangladesh Embassy confirmed that 16 Bangladeshis were among those killed. One Indian is also among the casualties, according to officials at the Al Ain Hospital morgue, while five bodies are yet to be identified. The injured, who suffered moderate to severe injuries, were rushed to Al Ain and Tawam Hospital. A total of 11 injured workers were taken to Tawam Hospital. They are stated to be in stable condition, a hospital employee said. Five of the injured men were transferred to Al Noor Hospital, where three were treated for minor injuries, said a member of staff. “I was driving to work from our camp when I saw a concrete-laden truck crash into a bus coming from the opposite direction. The bus was smashed beyond recognition,” said an eyewitness. The death toll is expected to rise in the accident being described as the worst in the history of UAE.
