Muscat: Eleven people were killed, including four children, in a horrific head-on collision on Wednesday at Haima about 470km south of Muscat.
Nine of the killed were from two Indian families and two were Omani citizens.
One of the cars caught fire while the Toyota Camry driven by the Indians was reduced to mangled metal.
The Omanis were driving their Hummer from Muscat to Salalah while the Indian families were returning to Muscat after spending the Eid holidays in Salalah when the two vehicles collided head-on. Khalid, who hails from Kannur district in India’s southern state of Kerala, was killed.
His 27-year-old wife Safnaz and three children — Anas, Hashim and Fatima — also died on the spot.
His friend Mustafa, who comes from Manappuram district in Kerala, was also killed along with his wife Ruqiya, his daughter Muqshina and his brother, Anwar. The names of the deceased Omanis were not available.
With the 11 deaths from Wednesday’s accident, the death tall in the southern region during the Eid holidays has gone up to 13 in two days.
Last Monday a woman and a child were killed when their car rolled over after a tyre burst in Thumrait. An infant, who was critically injured in the accident, is still not out of danger and being treated at the Royal Hospital in Salalah.
Extended Eid holidays in Oman and neighbouring GCC countries saw a large number of visitors throng the southern region of the country to enjoy the sub-25 degree temperature as well as continuous drizzle in the green mountainous area of Dhofar. A Muscat resident, who returned from Salalah on Tuesday after a four-day trip, said that the road leading to Salalah, especially after Adam, was very risky. “The night driving is very dangerous as there are no lights on the way and people drive very fast,” Pranav Mehta said. The police has urged motorists to be careful, especially while driving at night or early morning. The Royal Oman Police (ROP) have also advised people to take proper rest while on the long 1,000-km drive from Muscat to Salalah.