Stray camel causes deadly crash in Saudi Arabia
Two killed, three injured as vehicle rams into camel and veers off road
Dubai: Two people, including a man and a woman, were killed when their vehicle rammed into a stray camel, which led to their vehicle veering off and colliding with a truck that was moving in the other direction, local media reported.
Three girls have been reportedly injured in the accident, which took place on the Bisha–Al Jubeh road. They were transferred to King Abdullah Hospital in Bisha.
Immediately after receiving a report about the incident, Saudi Civil Defence, Red Crescent, police, and traffic teams rushed to the scene, where the man and woman were found dead and their bodies were extracted from the wreckage of the vehicle.
Several citizens and road users called on the Ministry of Transport to quickly take action and improve the Bisha–Al Jubeh road, which witnesses heavy traffic throughout the year.
The number of camels in Saudi Arabia is estimated at more than 1.4 million heads. Riyadh region has the largest herd of camels and their population is estimated to be about 322,57; followed by the Eastern region with around 256,079 camels.
Over the past few years, Saudi Arabia reported several accidents involving camels, especially as they have a tendency to unexpectedly cross the road. Because of this, Saudi Arabia came up with several countermeasures to alleviate the heavy losses from such accidents.
In particular, the Ministry of Interior has slapped a hefty fine on camel owners who leave their herds wandering onto the roads. Accordingly, the law will penalise owners of camels that cause road accidents. Moreover, the authorities erected fences to keep animals from wandering. In addition, Saudi Arabia created a nationwide camel database by micro-chipping every camel in the Kingdom to keep track of owners and for the safety of everyone on the road.