Saudi Arabia: 2 killed, 20 injured in Al Aflaj pile-up

Abu Dhabi: Two people were killed and 20 others injured after a sandstorm in Al Aflaj province, 300km from the capital Riyadh, caused a series of car crashes on Sunday afternoon, authorities said.

Ambulance teams rushed to the scene and moved the injured to hospitals, said a spokesperson for the Saudi Red Crescent in Riyadh, Yasir Al Jalajil.

The highway where the accident took place was partially shut down following the pile-up, Al Jalajil said.

Al Jalajil advised motorists to be careful while driving with the congestion of the main roads between cities.

Speeding, negligence, failure to adjust to unexpected traffic situations, failure to give pedestrians the right-of-way and driving in the wrong lanes are the five major causes of traffic accidents in Saudi Arabia, police said.

The number of serious accidents in Saudi Arabia has dropped by 34 per cent, while the number of deaths from traffic accidents has plummeted 51 per cent, according to Interior Ministry.

Statistics showed deaths dropped to 13.5 per 100,000 people from 28.