30 injured in RAK bus crash

There were no fatalities in the collision that happened on Kedra Road, south of Ras Al Khaimah, according to police.

Thirty people were injured when a lorry crashed into a bus in RAK on Monday. There were no fatalities. Courtesy RAK Police Department

RAS AL KHAIMAH // Thirty people were injured after a lorry crashed into a bus in Ras Al Khaimah late on Monday, police said.

There were no fatalities in the collision, which occurred on Kedra Road, south of RAK city, according to police.

In another incident in RAK on Monday, six people were injured when their vehicle overturned while they were going up Jebel Jais.

The victims of the lorry and bus crash sustained minor to moderate injuries, and were taken to nearby hospitals.

RAK Police dispatched an air ambulance to the site of the accident. The injured were taken to Saqr Hospital in RAK, Al Dhaid Hospital in Sharjah and Fujairah Hospital.

Dubai Police’s air ambulance was also dispatched to help with the rescue effort.

Col Ali Al Alkeem, director of the RAK traffic and patrols department, said the lorry driver was trying to merge on to the main road when he collided with the bus. The collision caused the bus to overturn.

Most of the passengers were from Asian countries, Col Al Alkeem said.

Maj Gen Ali Al Nuaimi, commander-in-chief of RAK Police, said: “We are grateful that it resulted in no fatalities.”

Five injured passengers were sent to Saqr Hospital, 15 to Al Dhaid Hospital and 10 to Fujairah Hospital.

Elsewhere, the six who were injured on Jebel Jais are friends from India.

They were taken by ambulance to Saqr Hospital at about 7am, Dr Yousef Altair, director of the hospital, said.

“One of the victims is in a critical condition and was admitted to the intensive-care unit after resuscitation, and the others sustained medium and minor injures,” Dr Altair said.

Shaheen Thayakath, 23, was unconscious on arrival and had a head injury. He was admitted to the ICU, while his friend, Faisal Unniyambattn, 27, was conscious and was taken to the orthopaedic department with an injury to his right thigh.

Abilash Punora, who is in his thirties, had abrasions on his forehead and a wound on his right leg.

Jafa Pinnilath, 21, had an open wound on his scalp, while Santosh Kumar, 35, had a wound on his forehead, and Faisal Iolyaisd, 30, had a big laceration on his scalp.

All three were admitted to the surgical ward.