Fujairah accident: Who are the 10 Emiratis and four Indians killed, and what we know so far

Fujairah: All 14 victims of the Fujairah road tragedy have now been identified as the UAE began investigating what went wrong and leaders offered condolences to the bereaved families.

Ten of the victims were Emiratis and four were Indians, the Ministry of Interior had confirmed earlier. The ministry later said they died in two consecutive collisions on Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Road in the early hours of Thursday, November 12, and 30 others were injured.

Dr Anwar Gargash, Diplomatic Adviser to the President, said in a post on X on Friday that the UAE had received news of the accident with deep sadness and that the loss of life and injuries had touched the nation deeply.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad Al Sharqi, Crown Prince of Fujairah, offered condolences to the victims’ families including the family of Indian expat Siddique Thuppilikkat Moideen, who lost his twin children and grandson.

On Saturday, Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Chairman of the Presidential Court for Development and Fallen Heroes' Affairs, visited the mourning majalis and checked on the injured in hospitals in Fujairah, wishing them a speedy recovery.

The names of the UAE nationals who died in the accident were revealed on Saturday night, after Sheikh Theyab extended condolences on their passing.

The Emirati victims

They were named in the WAM report on Sheikh Theyab's visit as:

• Mohammed Rashid Al Kindi

• Khalfan Saeed Al Mazrouei

• Rashid Musa Al Darmaki

• Hajar Salem Khamis Marzouq Al Mesmari

• Abdullah Hamad Al-Hafiti

• Suhair Saeed Ahmed Al-Yamahi

• Maryam Abdulrahman Al Hammadi

• Amna Saif Al Naqbi

• Ahlam Saif Al Naqbi

• Ahmed Thani Juma Al Mujairdi

Fujairah Police had earlier announced the death of policewoman Hajar, who served at the emirate's Punitive and Correctional Institution.

Earlier on Friday, Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad Al Sharqi, Crown Prince of Fujairah, performed the funeral prayer for Ahmed Thani Juma Al Mujairdi.

Later, he offered condolences to Hajar’s family and the family of Abdullah Hamad Al-Hafiti and his wife Suhair Saeed Ahmed Al-Yamahi. He also visited the families of some of the injured.

The Indian victims

On Saturday, Sheikh Theyab also offered condolences on the passing of the Indian victims. He visited the family of Siddique Thuppilikkat Moideen, a UAE resident of several decades who runs Eva Cafeteria, a well-known Fujairah eatery established in 1978, and who lost his twin children and grandson.

Gulf News had earlier reported the deaths of his Kerala-origin twins, Mohamed Asmil Siddique and Misna Jubin Siddique, both 21, and their three-year-old nephew, Muhammed Faiz. Siddique's wife, Arifa, his elder daughter and mother of Muhammed Faiz, Farzana, and her two other children were injured.

As Gulf News first reported on Saturday, the fourth Indian victim was identified as a 13-year-old boy from Gujarat.

Social workers supporting the families told Gulf News on Sunday that the boy is named Aatif Mohmmed Imran Mansur, according to a copy of his passport provided by relatives who have travelled to the UAE.

Aatif's family was visiting the UAE. They were on their way to Fujairah International Airport for the flight home to India when the crash happened. His parents, his elder sister and the Pakistani driver of their car are being treated in hospital.

What happened

According to the preliminary investigation conducted under the directives of the UAE Federal Public Prosecution, two consecutive accidents took place on Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Road in the direction of Fujairah.

The first involved a vehicle colliding with a stationary truck. In the second, a truck carrying two shipping containers struck several vehicles before overturning.

The crashes occurred in an area where the right-hand lane had been closed to traffic to allow maintenance works.

Fujairah Police had earlier said a truck lost control near the entrance to Fujairah. It first hit another vehicle, then overturned and crashed into several cars that had stopped because of slow-moving traffic.

The impact set the truck on fire, and the flames spread to other vehicles, causing multiple casualties. The Ministry of Interior said 18 vehicles and five trucks were involved.

An analysis of the preliminary investigation, the police report and the Indian family's account suggest that the family's car was involved in the first collision with a stationary truck in the area where the right-hand lane had been closed for maintenance works. Vehicles caught in the resulting congestion and slow-moving traffic were then struck by a second truck carrying two shipping containers, which subsequently overturned and crashed into several vehicles.

By Thursday evening, Fujairah Police said, 15 of the 30 injured had been discharged while the other 15 remained in hospital. The injured included eight UAE nationals, seven Indians, six Omanis, three Egyptians, two Jordanians, two Pakistanis and two Brazilians, according to the ministry. Some of the injured were discharged later.

Investigation under way

As part of the investigation, the Federal Public Prosecution has ordered on-site inspections, technical assessments and laboratory tests to establish the cause and circumstances of the collisions and to determine any legal responsibility. The truck driver has been ordered detained while he receives treatment in hospital.

The Ministry of Interior said coordination with the prosecution and other authorities is continuing. It renewed its appeal to motorists to observe speed limits, keep a safe distance and stay alert when traffic slows down or comes to a stop.

Amid the grief, the ministry also highlighted fines of up to Dh3,000 and one-year driving licence suspensions for heavy-vehicle traffic offences.