Two drivers killed as lorries crash head-on

Two Pakistani lorry drivers were killed on Sunday night as their vehicles crashed head-on in Abu Dhabi.

ABU DHABI // Two Pakistani lorry drivers were killed on Sunday night as their vehicles crashed head-on. The accident, which was described as "horrific" by traffic officers, occurred opposite Sha'abiyat Al Nahda on the way to Al Ain as one vehicle was driving towards Abu Dhabi and the other towards Al Ain. One driver apparently tried to illegally overtake another vehicle, said Lt Col Mohammed al Mazrouei, the head of the highways section at the highways traffic department of Abu Dhabi Police.

Both drivers were killed instantly. Workers had to extricate the body of the driver who is believed to have caused the accident; both lorries came to rest in a sandy area. "The accident also caused a construction tool to fall off of one of the trucks onto the ground," Col al Mazrouei said. Police patrols will be increased on highways, he added. He also warned lorry drivers to follow the rules and speed limits, and not to overtake at illegal and dangerous places.