14 dead, 30 injured as truck ploughs into 23 vehicles on Fujairah highway

At least 14 people, including Indian nationals, were killed and 30 injured in a pile-up involving 23 vehicles on Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Highway near the entrance to Fujairah city in the United Arab Emirates around midnight.

The UAE's Ministry of Interior announced the accident in an official statement on the social media platform X. According to the available information, traffic on the highway was moving slowly shortly before midnight when the driver of a heavy truck coming from behind lost control. The speeding truck first hit one vehicle hard, then overturned on the road and ploughed into 23 slow-moving and stationary vehicles ahead. They included five large trucks and 18 other vehicles of various sizes.

The impact was so severe that the overturned truck immediately caught fire. Conditions resembling a fuel tank explosion developed, and the flames spread rapidly to other vehicles trapped nearby. Screams rang out on the highway, and many people did not get a chance to leave their vehicles. Fujairah Police, Civil Defence and ambulance teams reached the spot soon after being alerted. Rescue teams brought the fire under control and took the injured to nearby hospitals.

The fire was so intense that many vehicles were burnt to charred shells. Many of the dead are almost impossible to identify because of the burns. According to the administration, DNA tests are being carried out with the help of forensic experts to identify the bodies correctly. Of the 30 injured admitted, 15 were in stable condition and were sent home after initial treatment. The other 15 are still being treated under the supervision of specialist doctors. The dead and injured include UAE citizens as well as nationals of India, Oman, Brazil, Pakistan, Jordan and Egypt.

The accident has devastated a family from Kerala. Twin siblings Mohammed Asmeel Siddique and Misna Zubeen Siddique, both 21 and originally from Kerala, died along with their three-year-old nephew, Muhammad Faiz. The family was returning to their home in Fujairah after dropping off a relative in Sharjah at around 11 pm. A speeding truck hit their car hard near the Fujairah Court House. The impact threw Asmeel, Misna and little Faiz onto the road, and they died on the spot. The twins' mother, Arifa, her sister Farzana and Farzana's two other children had a narrow escape and are undergoing treatment. The twins had been together since birth and studied together. Their last rites will also be held at the same time in Fujairah.

The Consulate General of India in Dubai has officially confirmed the deaths of Indian nationals and injuries to several others in the accident. The consulate expressed deep grief on social media. Its officials are in constant touch with the local UAE administration and the hospitals. Efforts are being made to arrange every kind of legal and medical help for the affected Indian nationals and their families. The consulate is also contacting the families of the dead and consoling them.

Fujairah Police and the UAE's Ministry of Interior have ordered a thorough investigation. The technical inquiry is examining whether the truck's brakes failed, whether there was a mechanical fault, or whether the driver lost control after dozing off. Meanwhile, some disturbing videos and photographs of the accident are going viral on social media. The UAE administration has appealed to people not to spread rumours by sharing unverified videos, photographs or false information.