Abu Dhabi: Three people died and 11 were injured in a road crash in the capital early on Sunday.
A 14-seater minibus reportedly jumped the red light and collided with a taxi at the intersection of Shaikh Saif Bin Mohammad Street and Al Saada Street in Al Mushrif area in Abu Dhabi, said Major Abdullah Al Suwaidi, Director of the Investigation Department at the Traffic Accidents Section at Abu Dhabi Police. Among the deceased, two were travelling in the minibus and other one was the taxi passenger, he said. The bus driver was speeding and he jumped the red light, causing the horrific crash, Al Suwaidi said.
After receiving an alert, ambulance and rescue vehicles rushed to the scene and transferred the dead and the injured to Shaikh Khalifa Medical City in Abu Dhabi, he said.
Among the 11 injured, one was serious and four received medium injuries. Six received minor injuries only, the official said.
Al Suwaidi warned motorists against speeding and jumping the red-light which will cause serious crashes, injuries and death.
Among the three deceased, two are Filipinos and one is an Indian, Gulf News has learned. Emerson Yolip, 26, a Filipino and Shafeer Narippatta, 23,an Indian were petrol station attendants in Mussaffah but the tragedy struck them while going to work in the minibus, a colleague said. The third deceased, another Filipino national was the taxi passenger but his details were not available, he said. Philippine Embassy said it was waiting for the details of the deceased from authorities.
Narippatta, the Indian, recently reached Abu Dhabi for work, the colleague said. The Pakistani driver of the minibus was taken into custody by the police, he said.
“It seems he was sleepy because it was his first trip early morning around 5 am,” he said.
The bodies were being kept at the morgue of Shaikh Khalifa Medical City.
