DUBAI: Accidents were responsible for more than a third of all Indian expat deaths in the UAE in 2013, according to the Indian Consulate in Dubai.
A consulate spokesperson told XPRESS that as many as 520 of the 1,385 deaths that occurred last year were accident-related. “They included both road traffic and site accidents,” she said.
She added that of the 1,046 deaths registered by the Indian Consulate, which covers Dubai and the northern emirates, a total of 450 deaths - or 43.02 per cent - were due to accidents. The Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi recorded a total of 339 deaths, of which 70 were accident-related.
Pakistan tops list
Earlier this year, the traffic police in Dubai had said drivers of five nationalities were involved in almost three-fourths of all fatal road accidents in Dubai in 2013.
According to reports, citizens of these five countries, including India, caused 1,128 accidents or 72 per cent of the total, in which 101 people, or 62 per cent of the 160 people died last year.
They said Pakistani drivers topped the list as they were involved in 373 accidents in which 33 people died and 577 persons suffered injuries. Indians came second with a tally of 314 accidents in which 28 died and 432 people were injured while Emirati drivers caused 298 road accidents, resulting in 30 deaths with injuries to 467 people.
The Indian consulate spokesperson said natural causes claimed the maximum of 727 Indian expat deaths during 2013 while suicides claimed 102 lives, drowning 15 and others 21. The maximum number of deaths due to natural causes – 488 - took place in Dubai and the northern emirates.
