Pupils taken to hospital after school bus crash in Abu Dhabi

The accident involved around a school bus and a car on Salam street

At least four pupils were injured in a traffic accident between multiple cars and a school bus in Abu Dhabi on Thursday, prompting police to warn again about tailgating.

The children were treated for minor injuries in hospital, according to at Abu Dhabi Police.

The accident, which happened at around 7am on Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street - also known as Salam street - at the turn-off for Mussaffah, occurred between a school bus and a car. Preliminary investigations suggest that the driver of the leading vehicle stopped suddenly and the motorist in the vehicle behind, who had not left a safe distance between them, crashed into the first vehicle.

Another accident followed between two vehicles travelling in the same direction, police said. There were no injuries.

Police said there was not enough space between the vehicles involved, though it did not appropriate blame.

Pupils from various schools were caught up in the crash, according to Balakrishna Gopinath, general manager of Velocity School Bus Transportation, which operates one of the buses involved in the accident on Thursday.

He said at least four children, who were on the bus operated by Velocity, were taken to hospital after complaining of pain and “uneasiness”. He reiterated that none were seriously injured.

“Two children have been discharged from hospital and another three who are complaining of pain have been asked to wait to see if there is anything [wrong],” said Mr Gopinath at around 9.40am, around two and a half hours after the accident.

“But they have not observed anything as of now. One [Velocity School Bus Transportation] team is sitting at the hospital,” he added.

Uninjured pupils were driven away in a spare school bus, said Mr Gopinath.

Police cleared the accident, which had been slowing traffic, by 7.50am, according to the force’s Twitter feed.

But four buses, several police cars and an ambulance remained parked in an area next to the road, at 8.30am. The first bus left the area shortly after.

Two of the buses were branded with the name St Joseph’s School, but the buses were not being used for pupils from the school at the time, according to a school spokesperson. All of the school's buses arrived on time for the start of the school day at 7.15am, they added.

Another of the buses was branded with the name Gems United Indian School. A spokesperson for the school said they “could not disclose any information”.

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Read more:

Car catches fire on Sheikh Zayed Bridge in Abu Dhabi

Standstill traffic as multi-car rush-hour crashes hit Dubai roads

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