Dubai: Nine people were injured in several accidents that took place on Saturday during the sandstorm.
Colonel Saif Muhair Al Mazroui, Director of Dubai Traffic Police, said strong winds caused road signs on Shaikh Zayed Road to fly off, which led to a 15-vehicle pile-up.
One man sustained severe injuries in the pile-up as he was trapped in his car.
Traffic police and rescue patrols rushed to the scene to rescue the victims and divert traffic to ensure smooth traffic flow.
Also on Shaikh Zayed Road, eight people sustained minor injuries when a minibus overturned at 1pm after the Eppco station in the Abu Dhabi to Dubai direction.
Col Al Mazroui said the driver claimed that he lost control of the minibus when he swerved as he was trying to avoid a piece of wood he found on the road, which caused the bus to overturn.
All the injured were taken to hospital for treatment.
Col Al Mazroui urged the public to abide by traffic regulations, and the speed limits on inner and outer roads, to avoid tragic accidents. He added that people should avoid going out unless it is necessary and until weather conditions improve, as accidents that take place during bad weather conditions tend to be more severe due to low visibility.
