Indian consulate to aid families of nine killed in Khor Fakkan bus crash

Three others in a critical condition after vehicle carrying 83 workers overturned in Sharjah

Sharjah Police say initial indications are that the accident was caused by brake failure, which led the driver to lose control. Photo: Sharjah Media Office

India's consulate in Dubai has pledged its support to the families of nine of its citizens killed in a bus crash in Sharjah's Khor Fakkan area on Sunday night. Three compatriots who were among more than 70 injured in the incident remain in a serious condition.

The bus was transporting 83 men who worked for a construction company in Ajman to Khor Fakkan. The vehicle overturned near a roundabout after its brakes failed.

“All the nine who died are Indian nationals and three men are seriously injured,” S Madani, chairman of Khor Fakkan's Kerala Muslim Cultural Centre, who visited the men in hospital, told The National.

“The men had come to Khor Fakkan from Ajman to pick up free cooking supplies like rice and lentils that their company provides in its head office. They spent the day walking around, visiting some sites as it was their day off. The accident happened on their way back when the brakes failed.”

The injured have been admitted to multiple hospitals in Khor Fakkan and Fujairah to treat head and limb wounds, officials and social workers said. Autopsies are being completed on the nine men who died, after which the bodies will be embalmed and sent to their families in India. Officials said they were working to ensure the bodies were repatriated at the earliest opportunity.

“The Consulate is in touch with the families of the deceased Indian nationals, and we are working closely with the local authorities to provide all possible assistance,” said a media statement from the Indian Consulate in Dubai. “Our officials have visited the injured Indian nationals in hospitals and we will continue to extend our support.”

Sharjah Police said initial investigations indicated the accident was caused by brake failure, which led the driver to lose control of the bus as it approached an exit located near the entrance to the city. The police have urged companies to regularly undertake maintenance of vehicles, to be safe on winding roads and intersections and strictly follow speed limits.