Seven killed in deadly Yemen-Saudi highway crash 

Dubai: What should have been a joyful homecoming for dozens of Yemeni travellers turned to catastrophe on Friday evening after a horrific road collision claimed seven lives and injured many more on the international highway linking Saudi Arabia and Yemen.

The crash occurred in Al Abr region, north of Hadramawt province, when a passenger bus carrying about 40 people returning from Saudi Arabia collided with a heavy goods trailer. 

According to local reports, excessive speed and an inability to manoeuvre led to a chain-reaction involving a second trailer and a small taxi, leaving a scene of mangled wreckage.

Most of the victims were bus passengers who had been looking forward to reuniting with their families after time spent working or visiting relatives in the Kingdom. Medics described the injured as ranging from minor wounds to critical trauma, with many rushed to nearby hospitals.

In response to the disaster, Transport Minister Mohsen Al Omari ordered the immediate formation of a technical committee to investigate the circumstances of the crash. The inquiry will focus on establishing the precise causes of what he called a “painful loss of life” and examine whether safety protocols along the busy cross-border route were breached.

Further details on the identities of the deceased and the condition of the injured are expected in the coming hours.