UAE | Emergencies

9 victims of Abu Dhabi car pile-up still in critical condition

Twenty-one victims of car pile-up still in hospital, with nine out of 59 injured in critical condition

  • By Dina El Shammaa, Abu Dhabi Deputy Editor
  • Published: 00:00 April 4, 2011
  • Gulf News

Lower speed limit
  • Image Credit: Alex Westcott/Gulf News
  • Abu Dhabi Police reduced the speed limit on Shaikh Maktoum Bin Rashid Road from 160 km/h to 140 km/h after Saturday’s 127-vehicle pile-up on the Abu Dhabi-Dubai highway.
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Abu Dhabi: As many as 21 victims of Saturday's car pile-up are still in hospital, according to reports sent exclusively to Gulf News by the Abu Dhabi Health Services Company  (Seha).

Four more patients have been discharged from hospitals across Abu Dhabi since Sunday.

That brings the total number of patients discharged to 38 from Abu Dhabi hospitals — namely Al Rahba, Al Mafraq and the Shaikh Khalifa Medical City (SKMC).

The Seha report as of Sunday afternoon confirmed that nine out of 59 patients are critically to severely injured, and require constant medical attention. One of the patients is Emirati, two Omanis, one Indian, two Pakistanis and three patients are from what the report calls "other nationalities."

The deceased has been identified as Saleem Ali Fardat Khan, a 28-year-old light vehicle driver from Pakistan.

Khan's body is now kept at the central mortuary in Abu Dhabi, according to Obaid Al Ameri, head of the operations centre and disaster management at Health Authority Abu Dhabi (HAAD).

"We're now waiting for a release letter from the police so that the deceased's body can be released to the company he was working for," said Al Ameri.

Al Ameri said HAAD's operation and disaster management centre received their first call regarding the incident at 8.30am on Saturday.

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"The first thing we did is ask about the type of incident, location and who is involved. We then … sent an alert to Al Rahba and Al Mafraq hospitals, and asked SKMC and other private hospitals to be on standby.

"We then got in touch with Seha who responded immediately by providing us with 11 ambulances, which helped transfer some of the injured, alongside the police," he said.

Comments (6)

  1. Added 15:10 April 4, 2011

    Very sad to see and hear such bad news which claim lives. Lack of attentiveness and lack of patience is the main reason. Please be patient while you drive, "YOUR LIFE IS MORE VALUABLE TO YOUR FAMILY"

    Syed, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

  2. Added 14:08 April 4, 2011

    Duane Lee, I totally agree with your comment. Really Abu Dhabi authorities should take action on this.

    Anonymous, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

  3. Added 12:51 April 4, 2011

    The tragic incidents are not exactly due to higher speed limits, but because of lack of safe distance between vehicles. The safe distance rule of two seconds should be strictly introduced with markings/sign boards and education and enforcement and penalty. If the distance between two vehicles are maintained safely no multiple crash will occur even though driving at higher speeds.

    Dr Gafoor, Ajman, United Arab Emirates

  4. Added 12:39 April 4, 2011

    We should be carefull driving. Some times we have to maintin 40 km/hour will help to reduce the accidents. Any thing above 200km/hour is disasterous.

    Anonymous, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

  5. Added 09:34 April 4, 2011

    Speed limit change on Sheikh Zayed Road towards Abu Dhabi is higly welcomed. RTA in Dubai has electronic sign boards, which advise on fog and water clusters on the road ahead. I think the Abu Dhabi traffic department should also look into best practices to avoid such accidents in future. Our prayers for all who are injured.

    saxena, Dubai, India

  6. Added 09:20 April 4, 2011

    I hate to see needless life loss and injury due to one persons arrogance. I drive to Sharjah from Abu Dhabi two times a week and am constantly being "tailgated" by people who think they need to go faster than the speed limit. They get within inches of the rear of my car going in excess of 100 and honk for me to move out of the way! Lowering the speed limit will not help. Patrols are needed to pull people over who speed and ticket them AND PEOPLE JUST NEED TO SLOW DOWN AND BE COURTEOUS TO ONE ANOIHTER ON THE ROAD!

    Duane Lee, Adu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

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